Vengeance
by Trevor the Enchanter
Summary: AU What if the Minbari did not learn the truth at the line? What would that mean for the rest of the galaxy?
1. Battle for Earth

Just one warning in advance: this is a darker Babylon 5 universe, so if that's not your cup of tea, leave now. This story parallels a real story, but you'll have to figure out what it is on your own.

And the reason for this: Jeffrey Sinclair was not able to fight at the Line due to an inability to obtain a fighter. Yeah, sounds kind of dumb, but there has to be some kind of reason for this.

X X X X X X X X X X

The Grey Council watched as the last of the human ships were destroyed. They had sustained a few losses, and one Sharlin was damaged beyond repair, but apart from that, they were all but unscathed. There were still close to 200 of them, along with 750 Tianshis, around 75 percent of the Minbari fleet. "And so it ends." Delenn said, bowing her head.

"Yes; their resistance meant nothing to us." Coplann boasted. "Now it is time to wipe out these savages once and for all."

"What of the transports evacuating Earth?" Hedronn asked. "Many of them are beyond our reach at the moment." Like the rest of the Religious Caste, he was no longer supportive of the war, but it had taken on a life on its own, and after Lennon's death, they was no way to end it.

"They will be hunted down and destroyed in time." Coplann reassured. "Even in neutral space, there were be no one who will dare try to protect them."

The Minbari fleet approached Earth and entered the outer atmosphere. The Sharlins opened fire, destroying any target they could reach. Delenn turned her head away, not wanting to see any more death.

After an undetermined amount of time, there were frantic reports coming into the Grey Council. "Satai Delenn, we have urgent news." One of them reported. "Several of our War Cruisers have been destroyed and more have been damaged. It seems like the humans still have weapons available."

The Grey Council looked at the screen and saw more weapons heading towards them. The Minbari momentarily stopped bombarding Earth and turned their attentions towards their current threat. The missiles were easy to lock onto, but there were just so many of them, likely thousands.

Most of them were shot down, but the few that got through cost them many lives. One came close to hitting the Grey Council ship (don't remember what it is called) A few more seconds and it would have been too late.

"These humans will pay dearly for the dishonorable slaughter of our warriors!" Coplann exclaimed. "All of them will suffer for this."

"Perhaps, but I believe a ground campaign will be necessary." Delenn cautioned. "Think of the heavy price we paid on their colonies. How many more will die on their homeworld? This war must be stopped, and stopped now!" Indeed, on the ground, the humans seemed to have an advantage. The Minbari had superior technology and numbers, but the humans were skilled and not easily overcome. Delenn was hoping to persuade them to end the war, however small the hope now was.

"You're going soft on us, Delenn!" Coplann protested. "You were the deciding vote when it came to the war. We must fight it to its conclusion." Delenn did not have the heart to say more. It would take weeks before enough transports could arrive for a suitable invasion. The human attacks had stopped for the moment, but how many more were they capable of?

"It will not take long!" Morann bragged. "The humans are nearly helpless, with only these toys to defend themselves with." He overlooked the fact that the first wave of these weapons claimed several ships, along with nearly 2,000 Minbari. The humans were primitive, weak, and defenseless, so this would be an easy task.

The Sharlin continued raining plasma on the planet, focusing on major population centers and destroying them one by one. They detected enemy transmissions, but they still could not understand what the male was saying, only that it appeared to be an angry voice.

"There must be some way to end this!" Delenn protested. "They are beaten; there is no reason and no honor to slay the helpless!"

"They are far from helpless!" Coplann exclaimed. "Their entire species will be exterminated for their crimes! Or have you forgotten their recent attack? How many more will they have?" Indeed, the losses the Minbari suffered in the campaign to reach Earth were considerable, more than anyone expected. If not for the stealth system that every Minbari ship possessed, the losses would have been much higher than they were.

"You will punish an entire species for the actions of a single ship?" Delenn said sadly. _What are we doing? What are we becoming? _Now more than ever, she regretted the words she spoke at the moment of Dukhat's death.

"You said 'kill them all! No mercy!'" Coplann reminded her. "Are you not strong enough to stand by your words?"

"I changed my mind long ago; this must end!" Delenn exclaimed. Even as she said that, though, she knew no one would listen to her, as they had not during the course of the war. She prayed that the humans would survive, that their species would not fall victim to their madness. However, as she watched neutron beams slam into the planet, she saw no hope for them.

X X X X X X X X X X

Abbai Matriarchate:

Yrisha, the empress-mother of their homeworld, looked through the stars sadly. Along with the other Non-aligned worlds, they had pleaded with the Minbari to show mercy to the humans. They were firmly rebuffed, and warned that if they so much as protested again, they would suffer the same fate as the humans.

However, they were meeting unexpected resistance on Earth. From what little intelligence was getting out, Minbari warriors were taking heavy causalities, already beyond what they endured on Earth colonies. She felt utterly helpless; the Drazi had their largest colony burnt to ash for ignoring a similar warning.

Nonetheless, there were patrols everywhere and their defense grid was activated at all times. Perhaps they could do some good, she hoped.

They detected something coming through the jump gate. There were over 100 ships in poor condition. They were unpainted with no markings and it looked like they would be able to do anything more. She immediately ordered aid ships to assist them, even though they were not sure who they are.

"This is Elizabeth Sheridan to Abbai homeworld; we require assistance." She heard through the translators. "Repeat, we require assistance. We will not be able to last much longer."

"We will assist you in any way we can." she replied, preferring to do this herself rather than let another do so. "Our ships are already on route."

Unfortunately, when they got there, more jump points opened. A few Minbari war cruisers left the jump gate, firing on the refugee transports. The abbai fighters went towards the Minbari ones, but all of them were destroyed easily.

The planetary defense grid was activated and opened fire. Not many of their shots hit the Minbari, and even the ones that did caused only minimal damage. A few of the Minbari ships turned to oppose them, while the remaining ones finished off the refugee transports. None of them had a chance. The transports were unarmed and incapable of jumping.

The empress watched with sadness as tens of thousands of innocent humans were slaughtered. She once thought the Minbari were a benevolent race, although somewhat mysterious; not anymore.

One by one, the planetary defense grid platforms were destroyed. One of the Minbari Sharlins fell to the constant onslaught, but they were more primitive than the humans, so it did little good.

"Your world will pay dearly for this crime." One of the captains sent a transmission to her. "For protecting these criminals, you will share their fate."

"For being willing to take in innocent humans that desire nothing more than to survive?" She replied in horror.

"There are no innocents among humans. For killing our beloved leader, every human man, woman, and child will perish! And now, so will yours; this I promise!" The Minbari cruisers formed jump gates and left, but the Empress knew it was only a matter of time before they would come back.

She remembered this from the Dilgar invasion, but the slaughter of sentient beings that could do nothing to defend themselves was not something that she ever thought she would see again. Much of their planetary defense grid was destroyed; what hope did they have of survival? She knew she had to muster up what defenses they still had.

X X X X X X X X X X

Sydney, Australia:

"All right, is everyone ready?" John Sheridan asked. True, he was of Earthforce and not of the army, but everyone with superior rank was either dead or wounded, so he was left in charge. "I don't think we have much time."

"Yeah, that would be putting it mildly." Michael Garibaldi quipped. "Damn boneheads; they aren't taking me prisoner." He hoisted up his slug thrower, ready to use it at a moment's notice. With their desperate situation, Earth had no time to build PPG's, and it turned out that slug throwers even had advantages. They did not set off alarms in Minbari bases the way plasma fire did.

"All right men, we've gotten reports of the Minbari coming this way!" Sheridan exclaimed. "Let's give them a warm welcome. Attacking them is stupid, foolish, and suicidal, so that's exactly what we're going to do."

"Wait a minute; we've moving forward. That'll get us killed!"

"If you were the enemy commander, would you expect us to counter-attack in our current state?"

"Well, no."

"Precisely; it's the last thing they'll expect. Just remember to save the last bullet for yourself." All of the men and women under his command were well aware of what the Minbari did to people they captured. While fighters from their religious castes generally treated them well, the warrior caste were vicious and sadistic. Sheridan still remembered seeing what was left of Steven Franklin when they got a hold of him; that image was going to stay with him for a long time.

None of them expected to live through this fight. They saw the Minbari warriors, easily outnumbering them 2-to-1, preparing to assault their makeshift position.

The humans slowly moved on either side of them, surrounding them. Sheridan stayed in front with his group, while Garibaldi moved to the left, attempting the flank. While technologically superior, the Minbari had little sense when it came to military tactics. They relied on superior technology and firepower to destroy them.

Before they could surrounded them, someone screamed and opened fire. "Oh, hell." Sheridan muttered. Things almost never went according to plan. "Fire at will."

The Minbari took cover wherever they could, but the humans still had the advantage. Several of them fell before they fired back. People screamed in agony. "All right, it's show time." Garibaldi said angrily through the radio, firing at anyone he could see.

Most of the shots failed to make their mark, since both sides were now behind cover. Sheridan threw a grenade into the Minbari horde; despite their armor, two of them were taken down, due to staying close together, making themselves a better target.

In spite of their advantages, the humans were slowly being forced back. It was next to impossible to penetrate Minbari armor with the weapons they had. "Damn it, this is not going well." Sheridan cursed, reloading his gun and firing.

"No kidding; any idea how we're going to get out of this?" Garibaldi asked. More people fell, wounded or dead, including a woman not 10 feet away from Sheridan. She was badly wounded, unable to get up.

"All right, we're going to have to retreat; tell them." Sheridan shook his head. This counter-attack was a giant gamble, and it looked like they had lost. "Garibaldi, move your men back; we'll provide some cover fire." He turned to the woman, bowing his head and shooting her. He felt guilty, but knew there was no other option. She wouldn't live, and Sheridan was not about to let her be captured by the Minbari.

Slowly, Garibaldi's forces pulled back, though a few continued to fight, sacrificing their lives to give their comrades time to escape. Sheridan ordered his forces to retreat back to their stronghold, throwing more grenades to buy them time.

Suddenly, a Minbari warrior showed up, slashing the throat of two soldiers before they could react. Sheridan fired, managing to wound him in the arm. The Minbari fired his own gun, vaporizing another soldier. Sheridan jumped on top of him, bowie knife in hand. Their armor protected them against slugs and PPG's, but had only limited effect against knives.

They struggled on the ground. Minbari were stronger than humans, but not only was Sheridan fighting for survival, he was full of hate. He knew what had happened to the transport his sister's family was on.

He saw another warrior out of the corner of his eye, but was unable to do anything. Fortunately, someone else shot the warrior in the head before he could kill Sheridan. He used that momentary distraction to plunge the knife through his throat. The Minbari Sheridan was struggling with seemed to take forever to die, and was still trying to kill him.

In a last act of spite, Sheridan's opponent picked up his weapon and shot him through the leg, causing enormous damage. He screamed in agony, falling to the ground. When his men tried to assist him, he yelled: "Fall Back; that's an order!"

X X X X X X X X X X

"In Valen's name, what were those humans thinking?" Sreta asked himself. He was the leader of that particular Platoon, and never thought the humans would actually attack in their current position. "Casualties?"

"18 dead, over 30 wounded." his adjutant replied. "Human losses are unknown, but we presume far higher."

"Presume nothing; we were caught completely by surprise." His men were exhausted from the months of fighting the humans. Despite being completely outmatched, they refused to give up, and however much he loathed admitting it, were better warriors than his own people. "Find out what losses they took."

"Of course; may I ask what our next move is?"

"For the moment, we will hold our position. We need reinforcements before making another assault on the city." Sreta still felt that they should simply use mass drivers and put and end to it completely. Even the most powerful shots from their war cruisers were not enough to kill every human in the cities. "How long will it be before resupply?"

"It will be at least one Earth day." Sreta cursed to himself. Their species found it nearly impossible to survive in this kind of climate. He had already lost warriors from heat stroke. _Sooner or later, they will fall. They cannot win this fight._

A short time later, they were receiving reports that they were beginning to use Mass Drivers on Earth, in areas where the fighting was heaviest. Earth was slowly being destroyed, and Sreta looked forward to victory

X X X X X X X X X X

Geneva, Switzerland:

"I am glad to see you have satisfactorily recovered, Branmer." Delenn smiled, as they walked into the human building for negotiations.

"I am not completely recovered as of yet." Branmer replied. When they arrived on the planet, it turned out the Minbari were quite vulnerable to a human disease, which their intelligence told them was called Influenza. "Nonetheless, these talks must proceed. We have paid too high a price already."

The League of Non-Aligned Worlds were pleading with the Minbari to stop the war. The Abbai, Hyach, and Drazi had declared war and were mobilizing a fleet to assist Earth. True, their technology was far inferior to their own, but the Minbari were stretched to the breaking point and the few ships they had out there were being overwhelmed. Their economy was falling apart.

What stunned every interstellar race in the galaxy was that both the Narn and the Centauri were condemning the war, saying that continuing to assault the humans when they were trying to surrender was a "crime against sentience" Even the Vorlons were pressuring them to end it.

Since the beginning of the ground campaign, the Minbari had paid a very steep price. Warrior's deaths were now in the millions, and injuries were even worse. So many lines would now be ended because of the war.

The causalities were higher than even the most pessimistic estimates. True, the humans suffered far worse, but thanks to their New President, who had taken charge after most of their government officials were killed, they continued to fight.

Branmer shuddered internally at what he had seen. The humans fought long after any other race would have given up and despaired, and they used tactics that he had never imagined. He had watched several warriors die as a human child blew himself up. Such suicide attacks were responsible for many of their deaths.

Even the transports and war cruisers had taken a heavy toll. The humans had many of what they called nuclear weapons in reserve, and even one getting through was a disaster. It also made landing on the planet very hazardous. More than one transport had been destroyed by a hidden nuke.

To make matters even worse, some warriors had forgotten completely about honor. They tortured and killed humans simply because they had the power to do it. Not that the humans didn't do the same when they had the chance; there were many, many atrocities on both sides. Some clans had resorted to orbital bombardment with asteroids, which Minbari considered dishonorable. Earth was devastated by the Mass Drivers and plasma attacks, which sent huge amounts of dust into the atmosphere.

It would only make them that much weaker for the coming Shadow War, which is why both of them felt this war had to end. Delenn was the deciding vote on the Grey Council when they debated whether or not to use biological weapons created by Jha'dur and the Wind swords. The warrior Caste were all in favor of it, while the Religious Caste were against it. It ended in a 5-4 vote against using them.

Both of them walked into the room, meeting the Earth President. On the surface, he didn't seem like much. He was overweight, had a beard, and was around 45 years old. However, his voice inspired the humans to continue fighting even when it looked like all hope was lost.

"Have a seat." His deep voice commanded. Delenn and Branmer bowed lightly and sit in them. "Now how do we end this unprovoked war of yours?" Both had made progress in speaking the other's language and each had translators.

"Unprovoked!" Branmer shouted. "Your ships fired on us for no reason, killing our most beloved leader, second only to Valen."

"Really? We see it quite differently." William Grey informed the Minbari representative. "You people decided to launch a war of genocide because one of our commander reacted when you attacked him. What was he supposed to do when you opened your gun ports, preparing to fire?"

"That is the tradition of the warrior caste." Branmer informed the acting Earth President. "It is meant to symbolize strength and respect. You can see our weapons, and you know that we have nothing to hide."

"You led our ships into a trap; is it any wonder that they defended themselves?"

But neither of them responded, and were talking amongst themselves. The interpreter did not bother to translate. "Could it be possible?" Delenn asked. "That the humans attacked not because they're savages, but because they thought we were going to attack them?"

"I am not sure." Bramner answered. "If this is true, we started our Holy War because of a simple mistake. We will have to investigate this further." Among the Minbari, there was no such thing as honor among many of the warriors now. The Abbai homeworld was bombarded, killing tens of millions simply because they were willing to help human refugees. _How can we now look at ourselves and honestly claim that we are a benevolent people? Dukhat would be horribly ashamed of what we have done in his name._

However, what they did not know was that Grey knew some of their language. He was far from fluent in it, but he picked up enough to become truly enraged. These damned Minbari launched a war of genocide because of a mistake. Grey knew better than to say anything, as that would reveal something he would rather keep to himself.

"We ask for your complete and unconditional surrender." Bramner ordered. "Earth and its inhabitants will be a Minbari colony from this point on."

"Not a chance." Grey answered immediately. "We're still quite capable of fighting, and we will not give up our sovereignty. Earth will be allowed to remain independent."

"I highly suggest you reconsider, Mr. Grey." Delenn warned, remembering that was the proper turn of respect among male humans. "We have a weapon that will wipe out every last one of your kind if you do not accept our terms." They did indeed have them, even though they voited against using them. Still, he didn't need to know that. If the war went on, humanity would be destroyed, even though the Minbari would pay an even higher price.

"How do we know you aren't lying to us?" Grey asked. "Scaring us into doing what you want."

"Minbari do not lie, President." Delenn glared. "Make such an accusation again and I will kill you on the spot."

"All right, we will come back to that at a later time." Bramner decided to let it slide; no point in making things worse than they are. "Another term: we want star killer released to our custody to face trial for war crimes."

"War crimes?" Grey shouted. "He was merely defending himself from your attack!"

"He lured the Black Star in with a fake distress signal and mined the asteroids." Bramner argued. "He did not face our ship with honor; he took it be surprise, and destroyed 2 other war cruisers that went in to investigate."

"What the hell do you know of honor?" Grey demanded. "You destroy ships no longer capable of fighting, even ones that are attempting to surrender. You took no prisoners in space, and the ones you caught on the ground you tortured and mutilated. Is that what you call honor?"

"Do not pretend your hands are clean." Delenn glared. Nonetheless, however much she hated to admit it, the humans had a point. During the ground campaigns of the war, the humans took prisoners, and they were not always treated badly. Some of them fought with honor. The warrior caste, on the other hand…she shied away from remembering that.

"Don't bother pretending to be a kind, benevolent race."

"Recriminations will get us nowhere." Bramner intervened. "We are here to try and stop this war that has claimed so many lives." The humans were furious over the destruction of their refugee ships, and to be honest with himself, Bramner agreed with them. Those ships were full of noncombatants, men, women, and children. There was no purpose whatsoever to wiping them out, save sheer hatred.

Over the next few days, negotiations continued. The terms for Earth were very harsh, even though they ultimately managed to hold onto their independence. They would be confined to their solar system, and allowed no diplomatic relations with any other power. Humans were to accept full responsibility for the war, pay the full cost of the war to help keep the Minbari economy alive and there would be no effort at reconstruction. Delenn argued against the last term, but the others in the Grey Council overruled her.

The Minbari would blockade them, destroying any ship attempting to enter or leave the solar system. When it came to Sheridan, they had reached a compromise. The warrior caste wanted his immediate death, while the Earth Government would not give up a man they considered to be a hero. Neroon challenged him to Denn'sha, knowing Sheridan could not possibly win. Sheridan, however, hit Neroon's pride, and challenged him to fight on his terms.

It was actually a simple fistfight. Even though Neroon was not skilled in this form of combat, he was overconfident which led to his defeat. Sheridan was told to kill him, but he refused to do so. Not out of any compassion; at this point, he felt nothing but hate for the Minbari; but because he wanted Neroon to live with the knowledge that he had been beaten by a human, and a crippled one at that.

"That was a shrewd move of yours, challenging him on your terms." Sinclair complimented when it was over. "Still, you better get yourself looked after."

"Yeah, well, I know I had a better shot fighting that way." Sheridan replied. He was lucky to survive the ground campaign, and would be walking with a limp for the rest of his life. "I dearly wanted to kill him, except that was what he wanted. Let him remember that he lives because of a human's mercy. With any luck, he'll commit suicide."

"Still, we have to rebuild our world and our lives." Sinclair shook his head. "I tried to participate on the Line, only I wasn't able to get into a fighter. It wouldn't have made any difference, but still…I feel guilty about it."

"Unfortunately, there are few people on Earth who haven't lost a loved one or friend." Sheridan bowed his head. "My sister and her family were on one of the refugee ships they destroyed. Why? There was no reason to kill them! They were unarmed, they were no threat; what kind of aliens are they?"

"The war had made that very clear. Evil, but very advanced and very dangerous. We were confident we could beat anyone after we fought the Diglar. They proved us wrong. It's going to take many years to rebuild Earth to even a fraction of what it once was."

"I know that, but I want revenge; so do many others I've spoken too. At least Anna is alive. It was nice seeing you on better terms, Sinclair."

"You too, Captain Sheridan. I wish you the best in rebuilding your life." Sinclair hated the Minbari as well, but unlike Sheridan, was not eager to fight them again, feeling that they needed to rebuild Earth before anything else.

The Minbari chose the terms well, ensuring their dominance of Earth and the assurance that no other alien races would try to intervene. However, the war was a dark part of their history, something they wanted to pretend never happened. In their heart, they knew what they had done, but could not speak of it out of shame. In all their planning to ensure Earth would never be a threat again, there was only one thing they overlooked.

They knew nothing of human history.

Well, hope that was a good beginning. I'm curious: do any of the terms sound familiar to you?


	2. Aftermath

This is just an idea I decided to follow up on. Truthfully, I doubt we would have been willing to ally and cooperate with an alien race that launched a genocidal war against us. The feelings would be much more hostile, so an idea got stuck in my head and I decided to write it down. I am incorporating a few ideas from the huge story "The Dilgar War".

I heard a concern that the Abbai and Hyach were advanced civilizations and the Minbari would not attack them. Well, neither of them were able to repel the Dilgar without the help of humanity, and the Minbari are far more advanced and warned that any who stood with earth would share their fate. It's just that they were badly overextended and were not able to send too much to anyone else; the only reason the Abbai survived.

One more point I need to make: the shadows have not yet fully awakened, due to the Icarus not landing on Zha'dum.

X X X X X X X X X X

Despite the Minbari's harsh words, they did not have the willpower to keep the harsh terms going for very long. The worker and religious Castes wanted to forget that the war had ever happened, while many of the warrior caste were furious that humanity was not utterly annihilated. They were doubly furious that "Starkiller" Sheridan was not punished. A divide was growing, almost unseen, on Minbar.

Despite winning militarily, the Minbari economy was on the verge on complete collapse. They had not gone on a war footing in close to 1000 years, never imagining there would be any other race that would dare challenge them. Combined with the considerable loss in ships and warriors, along with the fact that they had only a few colonies for resources and almost no trade deals, they were in a dangerous position.

Delenn, in particular, wanted to make amends for her part in starting the war. She tried to convince the Grey Council to help with reconstruction, but was rebuffed by all the others. Her thoughts frequently turned to the humans, and her belief that she had shamed her teacher Dukhat, who would never have approved of what they had done.

As a result of the war, the Minbari were now among the most hated races in the galaxy. Even though the league were terrified of them, they hated them nearly as much as they hated the Dilgar. Their bombing of the Abbai homeworld had killed around 20 million of them, all because they had attempted to assist a few thousand refugees.

What turned them against the Minbari even more is what happened when they intended to send supplies to earth to help them with reconstruction. It was a joint Abbai-Drazi-Markab effort. As soon as they showed up in the solar system, the Minbari cruisers blockaded them, not intending to let them through.

Only a couple years after the war, humans had somewhat rebuilt their planet, found and attempted to copy Minbari technology that was left behind and efforts were already ongoing to build the Omega Class destroyers. Over 20 had been built in the course of a year, along with hundreds of new star fury fighters. Not only that, but the final count of lives lost came to around 2.8 billion, leaving the human population at around 7.34 billion. Most died in the bombardment and vicious ground fighting, but millions died in the rioting and starvation that followed. The planet was now effectively under martial law.

In 2251, Earthforce launched nearly half its fleet through the galaxy, arriving at Proxima 3. It was meant as a test to see if the Minbari would follow through with their warning. Nerves were high, but the ships, including the Agamemnon, made their tour and came home unscathed, sending a message throughout Earth that the Minbari did not have the willpower to keep them trapped.

By 2254, a planetary defense grid had been built around Earth, Mars, Io, and Proxima 3. The sight of dozens of platforms, hundreds around Earth, gave Earth a badly needed morale boost.

Also during this time, the Earth government began to form a closer alliance with the Narn, remembering that they were the only ones willing to support them, even with the high price tag attached. Not only that, but they were the only race who could truly understand what the humans had endured. While sympathetic to the humans, Narn intended to be the one in control, but it didn't take very long for Earth to establish itself as the dominant partner.

There were both cultural and military exchanges between the two species. Earth allowed many Narns to go to school on Earth, and many began to see Earth has their second home. Badly as Earth was burned and devastated in the war, it was still a relatively green planet compared to the Narn homeworld.

In 2257, with Earthforce having reclaimed most of their colonies, except for the most distant ones, a planetary defense grid surrounding every one of them, they had developed a permanent war economy. Hundreds of Omega destroyers were built, with the few Nova and Hyperions to survive the war sold to various members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds.

Half a dozen Nelson-class ships were developed and put into action meant as interstellar aircraft carriers. They were modified with Minbari technology and had some artificial gravity, although it was still somewhat dependent on rotation. Each ships was over 3 miles long, approximately 150 million tons, and capable of carrying hundreds of fighters.

In mid-2258, there were stories of atrocities coming from the Hurr homeworld and Earth decided to act, even though it was an internal affair. They claimed it as a humanitarian action, even though many relished fighting a war they knew they could win. Earth put enormous pressure on them to make concessions towards gender equality, horrified at the treatment of their females, reflecting some civilizations in human history.

Even moderate Hurrs who had been taking gradual steps to rectify the situation were outraged over Earth interference. Despite that, though, they knew that they stood no chance against the advanced human ships, especially not with the Narn giving support. Eventually, they decided to do so, after the humans threatened to strip them of what few colonies they had, which contained many valuable resources.

They were forced to agree to a permanent human and Narn military presence, who by this time, had developed a strong fondness and empathy for the other. Incidents were recent, with both of them deciding to intervene whenever they saw anything occurring. Gradually, they began to give women equality, although it was still a slow process. Even though many of the intentions were good, Earth then know that they were once again a major galactic power and a more powerful one than before.

At the end of 2258, Earth made a protection and trade deal with the Drazi. Earth would receive joint ownership of the outer trade colonies and be allowed to have shipyards. Knowing that they could easily see it as an insult, Earth softened the blow by allowing them a few of the Omega destroyers built on the colonies and offered an upgrade of their planetary defenses.

"Well, I am glad we were able to come to a satisfactory agreement." Captain Susan Ivanova of the EAS Sitting Bull. "I believe this will work to both our interests."

"We thank you for your assistance, both in the Dilgar War and our current deal." Sre'tar replied. He was able to speak English quite well, and was chosen to represent the Drazi in these talks. True, they were going through their tradition of fighting for supremacy every 5 years, and while it was still going on, a few elites were called back. "I believe my brother would have loved to see this."

"What happened to him?" Fleet Captain Ivanova asked out of politeness.

"When the war started between your kind and the Minbari, he was one of your supporters, advocating fighting alongside you as you did us in our time of need. Unfortunately, the Minbari warned that if we supported you in any way, we would share your fate once your civilization was destroyed."

"Yes, I suppose I can see why that might discourage others." Sheridan nodded. While technically beneath Ivanova in rank, he had great influence in Earthforce, due to his victory over the Black Star. "With what they did to the Abbai homeworld, I can understand your fear. Don't worry, my friend: their time will come."

"Even so, he found volunteers after you destroyed their flagship." Sre'tar informed them. "He sent a large fleet of our best ships to assist you in the war effort. Over 50,000 volunteers and none of them were ever seen again. Most likely, he died at the hands of the Minbari; least it was a warrior's death.

"Later, they came back and took revenge on our largest colony. They burned the major cities to ash, killing most of our people who lived or worked there. We, of course, sent ships to try and stop them, but it proved utterly useless."

"Nobody truly stands against them." Sheridan sympathized.

"They died an honorable death, for which I am grateful. Nonetheless, our people are proud. I hate the fact that we have to knuckle under or face destruction. You humans, I believe, might be able to change that."

"Thank you for your confidence." Sheridan nodded. "We have largely recovered militarily, though our home will take decades, maybe even centuries to be fully rebuilt. One more thing: why did you decide to share such a personal story? Drazi aren't known for their openness to outsiders."

"I believe you humans could understand the need to avenge fallen comrades." Sre'ter explained. "When our contest is over, we will arrange further talks. In the name of the Drazi Freehold, I wish your people well." Sheridan and Ivanova bowed slightly and left, having succeeded in their job.

X X X X X X X X X X

"Mr. Franklin, I must speak to you on a matter of grave importance." Dr. Lazarenn informed, obviously shaken.

"I see, and why exactly are you so eager to speak to us?" Major General Richard Franklin asked, glaring at him. To be honest with himself, he had little interest in what the Markab had to say. Even before the Earth Minbari war, he had a suspicious mind towards aliens. Now with every member of his family dead because of the invasion, he felt little but hate towards them.

"Please, I will do whatever you ask. Just let me speak to the President."

"All right, I will see if the President is willing to listen to you. You try anything, you'll regret it."

"There is no need to be so hostile towards me, Mr…"

"Richard Franklin, and so far you have given me no reason to believe otherwise." They walked through the Presidential house in Geneva, where he was told to wait.

Although it was considered undignified for a Markab, Lazarenn paced nervously back and forth. If Earth said no, he knew what was going to happen to his people. After what seemed forever, Franklin came back and nodded, still keeping a wary eye on him. He was taken through security, scanned, frisked, and when they were satisfied he was not carrying anything, they let him through.

"Madam president, thank you for seeing me." He noted a man between middle-age and elderly standing on her right side. He looked at Lazarenn neutrally. He did not seem to hold any hatred, although Lazarenn was not skilled at interpreting human emotions.

"What can Earth do for you, Mr. Lazarenn?" Alexandria Foreman asked him

"There is… a plague spreading on my homeworld, striking Markab down by the thousands."

"If this is true, why have we not heard about it? Such a thing would be widespread news."

"It is not something we are supposed to talk about. 2 months ago, when I reported this to the highest levels in our government, I was ordered to keep quiet. They did not wish to start a panic."

"Keeping quiet about a deadly plague?" William Grey spoke up. "To put this very mildly, it seems unwise."

"There is a common belief among my people that only the immoral would ever be touched by it." Lazarenn bowed his head. "No one wishes to talk about it, as if the very subject means that they are unclean and immoral."

"Why would they believe such a thing?"

"The disease appeared once before, several centuries ago. It was on an island, noted for certain accesses. I believe you have equivalent places in your own world."

"We do; go on." Foreman encouraged. She admitted that under normal circumstances, she would not be willing to see him, but like most humans, they remember the assistance the Markab gave in reconstruction. Lazarenn in particular was responsible for saving thousands of human lives.

"It killed everyone on that island. We believed it was a punishment from the gods, and that only the immoral would ever be touched by it. The only reason it did not spread was that the island was isolated by weather."

"How fatal and how contagious?"

"100 percent fatal, and 100 percent contagious."

"Diseases are not completely fatal or completely contagious." Grey spoke up again. "If this is as deadly as you claim, it may have been genetically engineered for the purpose of wiping out your species."

"I admit… I had not thought of that." Lazarenn replied

"Why is there a belief that only the immoral would be touched?" The President asked.

"Over the centuries, it became a legend, something used to frighten children into behaving. Most of the actual details have been lost to time."

"Do you know how many have died of the disease so far? And have there been any casualties on your colonies?"

"The information is difficult to get, so I do not know. Deaths are already in the thousands, but to my knowledge, our colonies are still unaffected. Please, if you are going to help us, help us quickly. Family members of the victims lie about what kills them, and they continue to spread the disease into the general population."

"Is there any effort at all to find a cure or treatment?" Grey wondered. "Someone has to know this is something that attacks anyone, moral or immoral."

"There are a few of us; I am one of them." Lazarenn admitted. "A small faction of our government is giving what resources it can to find a cure, but it will not be enough to save them. The disease is difficult to figure out, and we must keep quiet about it at all times. A couple of us have already fallen to it."

"We will convene an emergency session of the Senate." Foreman ordered. "We must move fast if even half of what you say is true; I have no intention of abandoning one of our allies." Lazarenn gave a great breath of relief. He knew he would have to be persuasive or none of his people had any chance of survival.

It took around 2 hours to summon the Senate, although each second moved at a crawl to Lazarenn. He felt weak, feeble, barely able to stand up. _You must be strong; countless lives are depending on you. Not only my people, but anyone that Drafa can possibly infect. _

He nervously walked into the room, hundreds of eyes staring at him. Building up strength, he walked to the podium and began his speech.

X X X X X X X X X X

Grey watched as Lazarenn presented his request. He frequently reverted back to his native tongue, but did not seem to notice. "Do you think he can convince the senate?" He asked.

"We will have to see." Foreman admitted. Officially, Grey had no power to influence decisions, but people in government frequently turned to him for advice on how to run things, and most humans considered him a hero. "I know that I am moving far more hastily than bureaucracy generally does, but something as serious as this cannot be delayed." The people around them frowned, but talking during his speech, but said nothing.

"Even if he can, it will take time. In a way, they are dying for their sins: the sin of pride; Believing that they are moral and cannot be touched by such a disease."

"We have done the same thing in our history, remember. After this is over, I will have to make a speech to the public to try and convince them this is the right thing to do, assuming of course that the Senate agrees on it. I will have to emphasize what we are doing is right, but I believe I can pull it off."

"Don't forget to mention the personnel and economic aid they gave us to rebuild our planet after the invasion."

"The very thing I had in mind."

Grey was lost in his own thoughts. For a short time, the public might go along with it, but once they saw how much money this was going to cost, it would be much more difficult. Ever since the war, the public cared about little else besides getting revenge on the Minbari. Grey felt the same way, but knew it was not yet time.

Once Lazarenn was finished, it came to a vote. The Senate Majority leader quickly quieted down any open debate, and asked them to simply cast their vote. They voted to take action 359-141.

However, it cost a lot more than projected, as government programs frequently did. The most difficult part was convincing the Markab people that the virus infected everyone, not just the immoral. Earth "persuaded" the leaders in their government to act, threatening to accuse them with charges of conspiracy and cover-up if they did not

It took months to find a treatment and even longer to administer it to mass amounts of people. By this time, the plague had spread everywhere in the Markab civilization, save for a couple of isolated colonies. There was no actual cure, but there was an effective treatment, similar to what was used to treat the AIDS virus in the mid 21st century. Lazarenn was invaluable to finding the treatment, although he nearly succumbed to Drafa himself in the process.

Altogether, they managed to save around 600 million Markabs. The plague still existed, despite their best efforts, but it was nowhere nearly as contagious and fatal as before. Earth's leading analysts studied the virus and learned there was a nanotech component in it to make it more contagious than normal. It was a deliberate attempt to wipe out their race, although where it came from, they did not know.

What few in the government knew about was that samples of the Drafa Plague were kept in storage to be used just in case it was necessary to use them as a weapon.

X X X X X X X X X X

"So do you feel ready for it?" Alexander Vasquez asked his friend.

"You mean what you humans call 'boot camp'?" Ta'kani asked. He was a Narn that was relocated to Earth by his parents in hopes of a better life. Alexander's family adopted him, and they considered each other brothers. Over the years, he considered Earth just as much his home as Narn was. "It should not be difficult. My species are considerably stronger than yours."

"Yeah, I figured that out when you took out 4 people at the same time." Alex laughed. "Got to tell you, you saved my ass! But yeah, I'm nervous. I got drafted and I'm going into the army in less than two months, so yes."

"I believe you said your family has a strong military tradition."

"Yeah; gone back ever since we went to the stars. My Aunt's in Earthforce, and my father… he died at the Line." He was reminded of that every day. In every major Earth city, and many of the minor ones as well, there were plaques everywhere honoring the men and women who died at the line.

"Well, I'm sure both of us will honor their memories." Ta'kani sometimes felt like he did not belong to their family, in spite of living there for years.

"You bet we will! Come on, let's see if we can get home before our parents kill us. We haven't been under Martial law for many years now, so it's still quite dangerous." They walked through the streets of Detroit. Like many other cities on Earth, it was destroyed in the Minbari war, though thankfully it was not one of the cities destroyed by Mass Drivers; no one would have lived if it was. Even a decade after the war ended, it had a haunted look to it, a good part of the city still being little more than rubble. Alexander lost his little sister and his mother in the attack. His aunt and uncle took them in after that.

He was only 8 years old at the time of the invasion, but he still had dark memories. Remembering hiding in a shelter with little food or water, living in constant fear of death; they were lucky to be deep enough in the ground to where Minbari ships couldn't get to them. His uncle keeping a slug-thrower on him at all times, ready to use it both on any enemies or himself if it became necessary.

True, much of the dust from the asteroid strikes had settled, but a great deal of land was burned and still not suitable for farmland. Even after the war was over, what was left of his family were living hand-to-mouth. Like everyone else, those memories were at the forefront of his mind and would likely not disappear until the day he died.

"It'd be nice to make the Minbari pay for what they did. What can we do, though? They wiped the floor with us; we never had a chance. I don't even know how it started."

"We can relate to you; we suffered in a similar way under the Centauri. Perhaps that is why our races work closely together now."

Alex slapped his adopted brother on the shoulder affectionately. "Yeah, probably. Maybe it's a dream that'll never be realized, but I guess I can always hope. Even now, that's about all we have."

"There are some positive things to this. Both of us get to see the stars; most have never left Earth."

"Would be quite a thing to see, wouldn't it?"

They arrived home, knowing that it would be a long time before they saw their relatives again. Their Uncle worked on Europa, and by the time the new shipyard was complete, both of them would already be in basic training.

Alex sat down on his bed, staring up into the ceiling while Ta'kani did push-ups on the ground. He made a strong effort to keep himself in shape, and considering he was a Narn, it was quite easy to do. "Oh, Alex, I doubt you could do half of what I can."

"No, probably not." Alex agreed, chuckling.

"I thought humans were supposed to take that as a personal challenge and prove me wrong."

"I know when I can't win, bro. Still, if you're looking for a challenge, perhaps I can give one to you." Not elaborating, He got up and stepped on the top of Ta'Kani's back. "Now let's see what you can do." His brother grinned and continued.

Alex had a difficult time staying on his back, but ultimately managed. Ta'kani did over 50, in spite of the extra weight. He stopped and panted slightly, grinning. "Now that was a challenge. Tomorrow, let's see if I can beat it."

"Damn, you're going to breeze through basic training, you son of a bitch. I'm jealous, I have to admit."

"Breeze?" Human slang still confused him at times.

"I mean it'll be easy for you."

"Probably end up having to carry you through it. You never did spend much time getting in shape."

"You sound like our uncle. All right, I'll do if you stop bugging me about it." He laid down and started doing sit-ups

"You call that a sit-up, Alex?"

"Maybe they should make you the drill sergeant. You're intimidating, you yell all the time, and your breath stinks."

"I should throw you out the window for that."

"Not a good idea. Then you'd be taking care of me for a month, and I'd be barking orders at you."

"You humans really are devious."

"Just take a look at our history." Alex was somewhat of a history buff, and never hesitated to show off how much he knew about it. Although Ta'kani knew he wasn't trying to act arrogant, many others did not see that distinction.

Over the next few weeks, with Ta'kani's encouragement, Alex did his best to get in shape in hope of surviving Boot Camp. He nearly killed himself on a few occasions and his brother had to carry him back, to which he received no end of ragging.

Eventually, the day came and they checked into the barracks. There were around 100 men and women in that one room alone. "I'm too nervous to sleep." he admitted. "I've heard a few horror stories about this."

"Come on, don't be a wimp." Ta'kani laughed. Not only did he consider Earth his second home, but he even acted much like a human. Almost everyone around them were talking amicably. "Wait, you humans have women in your armed forces?"

"Yeah, I don't see the problem. You don't?"

"As a general rule, no. When we have female troops, we keep them separated to avoid certain… difficulties."

"Well, we do things differently. Crap like that happens, but we've learned how to deal with it."

"You humans truly are an enigma. Even after spending years on Earth, it never ceases to amaze me."

"Yeah, yeah, just go to sleep. You might find this easy, but I'll be lucky to survive this." He closed his eyes, but was not able to get to sleep for a long time.

X X X X X X X X X X

"Are you sure about this, Satai Delenn?" Lennier asked. "If you will forgive me for saying so, I believe this to be most unwise."

"No forgiveness is required, Lennier." Delenn replied. "And I am no longer Satai, so Delenn will be sufficient." A couple of years ago, she left the Grey Council when they refused to listen to her pleas to try and make amends to the humans. Even before that, the guilt over starting the war was a crushing burden.

"Perhaps, but you will always be Satai to me." When she resigned, Lennier was given a choice for a different career. He turned it down, having become very attached to Delenn.

"Thank you; you do not have to go, you realize. My trip to Earth will be very dangerous."

"My place is at your side, but what is the purpose of this visit? The humans still allow no diplomatic relations with us."

"I am attempting to make amends for the crimes we committed during the war." As far as Delenn was concerned, she felt personally responsible for every death and every war crime.

"What crimes? Forgive me, but I do not understand."

"I do not blame you. It is not something we are supposed to talk about, but I believe we must. From what little I have been able to find out, we have lost all honor and benevolence."

"I thought that was merely human propaganda in an effort to gather allies in the war."

"No, what they said is true. Our goal in the war was genocide, the extermination of humanity."

"Did they not deserve it for killing Dukhat? You are the last person I expected to feel sympathy for the humans." Lennier was intelligent, but was taught that way for many years in the temple.

"I'm afraid that you have been lied to. Our people do not wish to discuss what we have done, and Dukhat would never have approved." She frequently wondered what her old mentor would have said if he had seen the carnage his death caused.

"Then how did it happen?"

"We greeted them with our gun ports open, which we saw as a symbol of respect, but they misinterpreted it and opened fire. This is a dark deed, but one we must remember if we are to learn from it."

"I do not believe the humans are interested in reconciliation. In fact, I believe they intend to attack us again."

"Why do you say that, Lennier?"

"I have recently been studying human history, and it seems to fit with their pattern. When they are beaten and humiliated, they improve their technology and launch a war of vengeance. There is one example is particular that caught my attention."

"We cannot let that happen; we must at least make an effort. I refuse to believe it is impossible."

"As you wish, Satai Delenn." He conceded, but still did not agree with her. Lennier felt that they had to prepare or even attack prematurely in order to avoid another devastating war. Even with the indemnity, their economy was on the brink of collapse for years.

When the humans began exploring the galaxy once again, building ships that were even stronger than the ones they had before, they did nothing. The Grey Council voted to give in to their demands when they slowly began retaking their colonies.

They took a shuttle to one of the Sharlins in orbit around Minbar. There they met Bramner, who intended to do the same. He had little time left in the world, and wanted to do this before he died.

As the cruiser entered hyperspace, Lennier was left to his thoughts. With the humans much stronger than before, and allied to an equally aggressive race, he saw trouble in the future.

X X X X X X X X X X

Wow, looks like this story is going to get pretty long. Hopefully, the next chapter will be better. I have a lot of background to give, in order for you to have some idea as to what has been going on because of the change.

In case anyone is wondering why the Minbari are taught that their atrocities are nothing but human propaganda: remember that saving face is the one thing that will compel them to lie. Not only that, but most do not want to face the reality of what they had done. I had gotten the idea from some of the more reactionary groups in Japan, who say similar things. It's very hard to admit that your people were/are capable of such a thing.

As always, review! I greatly appreciate the feedback. Admittedly, I did not expect nearly as much attention as I have gotten from this story. Won't be updating for a while, since I have finals in college to study for; sorry!


	3. Setting the Stage

Okay, now that my finals are over, hopefully updates will be more frequent. I admit, this is going to be a much longer story than I thought.

X X X X X X X X X X

"This meeting of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds will now come to order." Ambassdor Mila Shar of the Abbai stated, banging on the gavel. It took some time, but finally the ambassadors that showed up calmed down. The Abbai, Drazi, Balosians, Markab, and Hyach sent ambassadors, while the others declined to attend.

"Well, we all know this is about." Reshok of the Drazi growled. "Let us get to it!"

"There is only one question: what do we do when it comes to the humans?" Shar asked. "Our most recent attempt at aid has been accepted; are your governments willing or able to send more?"

"My people are doing what they can, but due to the recent plague, we are not able to send much." Hasan admitted. "Many of my people are still becoming ill, despite the treatments we were given."

"You were the ones stupid enough to believe only the immoral would be touched by it!" Reshok laughed. "No disease acts that way!"

"Well, my government at least will send medical aid." Shar responded. "Despite what we have already sent and their efforts at reconstruction, millions are living without any care whatsoever. Many of their cities are still in ruins."

"We will help using any means available." the Hyach ambassador promised. "Like all of us, we owe Earth a great debt for assisting us during the Dilgar invasion. We must repay that debt however we can."

"So are we all in agreement?" Shar asked. "I understand if you cannot contribute much. Many of us are in an economic downturn at the moment, but whatever you can send, please do so."

"I am not so sure." The Balosian ambassador asked. "I have been to the human homeworld a couple of times, and each time, they stared at me with hatred. There is an anti-alien movement growing on their planet. Until I am sure my people will not be harmed, I cannot in good conscience put us at risk."

"They are only angry because of what they are currently suffering." Shar informed. "If we send aid to help improve their lives, their anger will fade and disappear. There will be no reason for them to be resentful."

"I see your people are just as foolishly idealistic as ever." Reshok sneered. "We may send assistance, but we will defend ourselves against any human that attacks us, regardless of their reasoning behind it. Not everything can be fixed, Ambassador."

"And we are in little shape to contribute anything, as our world is still rebuilding." The Balosian stated. "While the humans may have our sympathy, we must look after ourselves first."

"Yes, and it was that belief that led your world to be occupied during the Dilgar invasion." Mila Shar reminded him. "All of us felt that we had to build our own defenses first before assisting others, not willing to do anything even when world after world was conquered. By the time we learned of our folly, it was too late."

"We will send all we can." Hasan promised. "In terms of currency, we will be able to send little, but whatever personnel we can spare, we will offer to them."

"As will we; most of their hatred is centered towards the Minbari." Reshok sighed. "They have so much hatred for them, they have little to spare for anyone else."

"It will only give them more pain and suffering." Shar responded. "They must find a way to move on from what has happened." Even as she spoke those words, she could not follow them herself. She had lost family members and friends to the Dilgar invasion, and felt nothing but hate for them even now. She was pleased that they no longer existed in the galaxy, however un-Abbai those feelings may have been.

"We will send them as much food as we can spare or how much our ships can safely hold." The Hyach Ambassador mentioned. "You are quite right; it is our obligation to help those in need of our assistance, whoever they are."

"Yes, and I will visit Earth personally." Reshok smiled, or what passed for such among the Drazi. "I will remind them that we have not turned our back on them."

"Yes, your people were one of the few who decided to send a fleet to aid them in spite of Minbari warnings." Hasan praised. "Perhaps we should have done that as well. My people have the Maker's blessing; the gods would have protected us from any attack."

"I believe you said that about the humans as well; it didn't do them much good, did it?"

"Enough!" Shar cut in before they could get into another argument. "So are all of us agreed that we will send Earth whatever supplies we can spare."

"I cannot promise anything, but I will talk to my government." The Balosian stated. "Just one thing I should mention: are you sure they can still be trusted? Remember what the did to the Hurr; there was no reason for that."

"I am well aware, and it only endears me to them!" Reshok laughed. "Those worthless Hurr have been needing a lesson for a long time." The official story was that Earth intervened because of a particularly vicious case involving abuse of Hurr women. However, everyone in the room knew that their motivation for it was not charity, but simply wanting an enemy that they could easily smash. Even so, they could feel little sympathy.

"Let us stay on the topic at hand." Shar reminded. "My people have agreed to send Earth supplies. What of you?"

Ultimately, all of them agreed to send Earth what they could, even though in the case of the Markab and Balosians, that was likely to be very little.

X X X X X X X X X X

September 17, 2260

"It's good to see you, John." Anna greeted her husband, giving him a quick kiss. "I have to admit, I didn't expect to see you here for some time."

"Well, my entire crew was given leave." John explained. "I'll be here for around a month, maybe more; they didn't specify. I didn't even get a reason for it; just following orders." Their home was fairly small, with the basic comforts. Even so, Sheridan was grateful that he had a place to live after the Minbari war; many of his old comrades did not.

"Whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here. You know I always worry about you when you're gone. I'll have dinner ready in around 10 minutes."

"I could always cook you something, you know."

"Not a chance, John; I still remember the last time you cooked. I was throwing up for over an hour." She smiled softly at that.

"Okay, maybe I'm a hopeless cook, but I was trying to be romantic. So do you have any more digs coming up?"

"Work has been pretty slow, I'm afraid. There may be a lot of demand for a xeno-archeologist, but jobs are hard to come by. Still, I've asked to go on an expedition, and I think they'll let me go. We're going to explore a region that has so far been completely unknown to us. I believe the planet is called Alpha Omega 3."

"You know the drill, I believe. Be careful, don't take any unnecessary chances."

"I know, John, and I'll say the same thing I always do: you worry too much, and it's part of my job."

"I love you, Anna. I can't help but worry about you, especially with everything that's happened." Sheridan sat down on the couch, wanting to get off of his wounded leg. "It's good to be home, though. Have you seen mom and dad?" His parents moved less than a mile away from them when they learned he was injured in the war. Even though he was an adult and able to take care of himself, they still insisted on doing so.

"So what's going on out there that the news doesn't tell us?"

"Actually, for once, it seems to be relatively quiet. The Narn and the Centauri are making threatening noises to one another again. It'll likely fade away in a few weeks, the same as it usually does." Sheridan didn't have the Centauri nearly as much as their new allies, but there was plenty of anger towards them for refusing to do anything in the Earth-Minbari war. _If they had decided to do something besides condemn the attack, we'd be much better off than we are now. The Minbari could never have fought both of us at the same time. Their economy nearly collapsed fighting us alone. _He chuckled darkly at the thought.

"I heard the Centauri have a new emperor."

"Yeah, they do, and believe me, I wish he hadn't come to power. Refa's going to be nothing but a disaster for us. I'll bet you anything he was able for Emperor Turhan's death."

"Makes me glad our system doesn't work that way."

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Emperor Turhan was a decent leader, even if he didn't have much fire."

"He was the one who made an official apology to the Narns, right? For everything his family and his Republic did to them in the past?"

"Yeah, that was him. I thought relations between them would finally normalize but he died, what, a week later?"

"6 days, actually, but close enough. Of all the people, why did it have to be Refa that took his place? That's going to destabilize the entire region; he's the type that want the Centauri to reclaim their old empire."

"The Narns aren't about to let something like that happen and in terms of technology, they rival the Centauri. I'm not as concerned as you are, but you're right; this is definitely going to cause problems."

"And if the Centauri attack, by treaty, we must declare war on them as well. I know many people don't agree with me, but I'm not sure we're ready for another major conflict just yet."

"Perhaps, but just a willingness to fight can often make it unnecessary. Remember how Switzerland was before Earth united. They were one of the only countries to stay out of the Third World War. It wasn't because they were nice and peaceful; no one was willing to attack them because they had a strong military. Every adult male was a member, to one degree or another. True, the major powers could win, but they would have paid a high price in money and lives; it wasn't worth it."

"I hope the Centauri feel the same way. The Narns are strong, but considering their relative strengths, I do not believe they could take on the Centauri alone."

"But are they willing to pay that kind of price?"

"I've been on Centauri Prime, and the kind of hatred many of the noble houses hold for the Narn frightens me. They would gladly commit genocide if they thought they could get away with it."

"Well, that's why we formed an alliance, isn't it?"

"Part of the reason, though they tried to dominate us; didn't exactly last very long."

"Any expeditions into… Minbari space?" Anna was hoping she didn't upset her husband. Usually, just hearing the name Minbari set him off.

Sheridan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "No, we didn't go there; I felt it was unwise, considering the current situation. Earth doesn't know that area very well, except the rough outlines of their colonies, and I didn't want to be the start of another war. They still call me Starkiller, remember?"

"Because you destroyed their flagship, and they're far from happy about it."

"Yeah, my heart just bleeds for them. The Black Star took out over 30 of our ships, killed thousands of people, and were going to finish us off despite the fact we could offer no resistance to them! Well, or so they thought, anyway. They wiped out ships that were no longer capable of fighting and trying to surrender; they didn't give a damn! And they call us dishonorable for that? What about the refugee transports they wiped out? They were civilians, not soldiers, and their only crime was being human! Oh, I'm sorry; to the Minbari, that's a capital offense!"

"John, calm down, ok? I don't like them, either, but the war is over."

_Not if I have anything to say about it; far as I'm concerned, the war's still going on. _Sheridan thought. "Yeah, I know; just still miss Lizzy."

"So do I; she was my best friend, remember? I gave up my spot on the refugee ships so she could escape to neutral territory. If I hadn't done that, her and her family would still be alive."

"We've been though this before, Anna. You are not to blame; you were trying to help your friend. The only ones to blame are the Minbari." _And one day, we will burn their world, just as they did to us. As long as I'm alive, I will find a way to do it, no matter what._

"How's you leg?"

"It's fine, Anna."

"I know when you're lying. How's your leg, seriously?"

Sheridan sighed. "It has good days and bad days, like anyone else does. Unfortunately, there's always some pain, and the painkillers I take for it are not as effective as they used to be."

"Are there any new treatments?"

"What they would have to do is clone the remaining muscle and insert it inside my wounded leg. It's very expensive and time consuming, so I don't think it's possible anytime soon."

"You're a hero; couldn't they make the effort for you?"

"Perhaps, but the injury's complex; damn Minbari weapons. They were probably designed that way so the wound wouldn't heal. Look, Anna, I've dealt with it for over a decade; I can live with it now."

"Maybe, but I'm always concerned about you."

"I know, and I love you for it, but I can take care of myself."

"You're always too stubborn to admit when you need help."

"Nothing you didn't already know, right?"

Anna walked away and returned with dinner, spaghetti and meatballs. They sat down on the table, ate and continued talking. "So how's the hydroponic garden of yours out there?" Sheridan asked.

"It's doing better than I expected, considering it's my first year of doing this. The tomatoes are growing very well; we'll have more than we could eat, most likely. The beans aren't doing quite as well, but we should have enough."

"That's good; with much of our available farmland burned, we need all the food we can grow. And it only took you, what, 8 years of me nagging you about it in order to finally plant the garden?"

"I was a bit nervous about it. Still, the green peppers aren't growing at all. I'd be amazed if we even get a few."

"Well, it's a learning process. Over time, we'll get better at it."

"So how long do they estimate it'll be before all the dust in the atmosphere falls to the surface?"

"It's going to be another 10 years at the least. There were several hundred asteroid strikes."

"That many?"

"It's not something we really enjoy talking about, but yeah. They were small, relatively speaking, but given enough of them, that doesn't really matter much." They continued, talking about their jobs and various political opinions.

X X X X X X X X X X

September 18, 2260

"Well, this is our last night before Boot Camp." Ta'kani told his brother. "How are you feeling?"

"Let me put it this way: I'm pretty nervous." Alex responded. "What if I can't handle it?"

"Hey, isn't that way you started getting in shape beforehand?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure it's going to be enough. I hope it is, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow." He put his stuff under his cot and laid down on top of it, his hands behind his head, looking into the ceiling.

"I'm sure you can do it, brother. Yeah, it'll be tough, but you'll pull it up, and I'll be there right beside you."

"You mean you'll be there carrying me when I collapse?"

"Most likely."

"Well, we may as well get as comfortable as we can before our nightmare begins."

"So do you feel ready?" the person next to him asked. He grinned at Alex and stuck out his hand. "Michael Cross."

"Alexander Vasquez, and this is my brother Ta'Kani." Alex shook his hand. "So were you drafted or did you volunteer?"

"I volunteered; I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life, and I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in Los Angeles, so I signed up."

"Oh, you poor sucker. Both of us were drafted into it."

"So do you feel nervous?"

"A little bit, but I think I can handle it." Obviously, he did not want to appear weak in front of anyone; that much he learned from his school days.

"Hey, I'm not worried at all. I'll be able to nail this! I can hardly wait to kick some ass out there!"

"Just don't fall on your ass, all right?"

"Jeez, do you have that little confidence in me?"

"I'm afraid so; I've heard horror stories about what Boot Camp is like."

"Oh, they're just yanking your chain, trying to frighten you. You'll get a good workout, yeah, but you'll survive… maybe. I'm only kidding!"

"So are any of your family members in the military?"

"It's gone back since the days of World War Three. After my grandparents served, they retired to the Flynn colony."

"How about your parents?" Alex was well aware of what happened at that colony during the war. Everyone who lived there was killed, and the planet itself was still in Minbari hands.

"Don't really want to get into that. It was nice meeting you." That being said, he retired to his bunk.

"Well, that was an interesting conversation." Ta'Kani mentioned. "You said your family has a military tradition as well."

"Yeah, but it's not as solid as his." Alex told his brother. "This is likely going to be the hardest 8 weeks of my life. You're lucky; Narn are a lot stronger than humans."

"As I think I've proved enough times."

"If by proved, you mean rubbed in my face, yes." He sat down and started reading a book, trying to calm the rising panic in his stomach.

"You know, if you're this nervous now, imagine how bad it's going to be when training actually starts."

"Thanks; way to make me feel better."

"Anytime; what are you reading?"

"Just a history book I brought from home. I have no idea why, but it's always been an interest of mine."

"What part of human history are you reading about?"

"I'd rather not say. It's something of a controversial topic." Alex remembered that when he gave that report to his class, in spite of getting an excellent grade on it, many people refused to talk to him. It was only Ta'Kani's protection that kept him from being beaten.

"Oh, it has to do with that report you made. I told you it was a bad idea. Not really sure why, but you humans never cease to confuse me."

"Let's not go into that again." Over time, the lights went down and the loud noises in the barracks turned into quiet. Alex was far from the only one having trouble sleeping.

X X X X X X X X X X

September 19, 2260: Ganymede

"I expect far better from all of you." Sinclair told the pilots in training after all of them had gotten back to base. "I was outnumbered 10 to 1, and yet I managed to beat every single group that opposed me."

"We weren't even allowed to use our targeting systems!" One of the cadets protested. "How are we supposed to have a chance without them?"

"Targeting systems can be jammed and interfered with." Sinclair explained. "But even without them, there were 10 of you and only 1 of me. You should have been able to defeat me at those odds."

"Your star fury moves faster and can maneuver better than the ones we were given." Another one mentioned. "You could at least give us a fighting chance."

"In a real fight, all of you would be doomed." Sinclair informed. "Against a Minbari fighter, none of you would have any kind of chance. Look, you men and women have potential, even natural talent, but you have to get experience. You tended to bunch up and leave yourselves open for multiple kills. Stay in formation, but be flexible and support one another. You need to know where your fellow pilots are at all times. Remember what happened last week."

2 pilots ended up killing one another in an exercise. Neither of them were paying attention to their surroundings, and collided into one another, killing them both. The cadets nodded to themselves.

"We will do this drill over and over again until you don't all die." Sinclair ordered. "You will be on simulations twice a day and you will be facing me three times every week. When I am done with you, you will be able to out fly and outfight any pilot in the galaxy. Dismissed!" Once they left, he sighed and rubbed his hair. These kids had a long way to go before they could be pilots.

He went into his quarters, only to find William Hague waiting for him. Sinclair immediately saluted. "At ease, commander." Hague said with a neutral expression. "So how is the progress with the cadets?"

"Sir, they have potential, but they have a long way to go." Sinclair explained. "They make mistakes that would be fatal very quickly in a real war, particularly against an advanced race."

"Okay, what kind of training exercises are you putting them through?"

"I've increased their simulation practice to twice a day and they face me three times a week. So far, only one group have managed to defeat me, with only two still in the fight. Many of them are overconfident, despite my efforts to show them that they can easily be killed."

"What sort of drills do you put them through?"

"My main one, as I said, was to have them meet me in combat, 10 of them at a time. However, they are given the older model star furies and are not allowed to use their targeting systems. Considering our current situation, I felt that was prudent."

"To put it simply, you are training them to fight the Minbari. Are you sure it's a good idea at an early stage?"

"Yes, I do; they need to be prepared for the worst."

"How have they done on the programs?"

"Even on first attempt, most cadets did well against League fighters. The Narns were more difficult, but even so, many were able to defeat them. The Centauri and Minbari… they haven't managed that yet."

"Perhaps, but I'm impressed on how well you've trained them so far. Do you train on them yourself?"

"Yes I do; always best to keep in practice."

"Good idea; you've done an excellent job as instructor. When do you estimate they will be ready to graduate from Flight School and join Earthforce?"

"Around 2 months would be my best guess. Permission to ask a question, sir?"

"Granted,"

"How many of the new Thunderbolts do we have at the moment, sir?"

"Approximately 300; you were among the first to get them. I am well aware of your skills as a pilot."

"Thank you, sir." Sinclair was one of the few very capable of taking down Minbari fighters in the war without immediately being killed. There were many occasions that he escaped by an inch, sometimes literally, but somehow he always managed to survive. Due to injuries, he was not able to participate at the Battle of the Line. "How quickly is production of these new fighters?"

"At the moment, we are building several per day. It's still relatively experimental, but it is expected to increase soon."

"One more question: what about the rumors I've heard about new construction?"

"I'm afraid that's classified, Commander. I know only the barest details of it myself. Keep up the good work; dismissed." They saluted one another before Sinclair left.

He walked inside his quarters and sat down in the chair. _Amazing I'm still able to function so well. I haven't been able to sleep for over 24 hours. _Sinclair slowly closed his eyes, looking forward to getting some sleep at last.

"Transmission coming through." The computer warned.

"Patch it through," Sinclair sighed, hoping this was important. He saw someone on the video feed

"Commander, I hope I didn't come at a bad time." She said. She was a Japanese woman who looked to be in her Mid-30s.

"No, not at all; what can I do for you?" Sinclair lied.

"My name is Admiral Yamato, and I am here to inform you that you have new orders. A Minbari delegation is coming to Earth and it is expected to arrive here within three days."

"I thought we had no diplomatic relations with the Minbari."

"At the present time, we do not, but their government is making an attempt to open them. It will be your job to escort them through space and make sure everything goes well."

"Yes, Ma'am." Sinclair saluted. He knew that his orders translated to "Prevent the Minbari from seeing anything we don't want them to."

"And one more thing: Congratulations on your promotion, Captain."

"I'm being promoted? Uh… thank you, Admiral."

"You have more than earned it. You should have gotten one months, if not years ago, but it likely got lost in the bureaucracy."

"Well, I suppose those kind of things happen." Sinclair knew it was far more likely because many of the higher-ups did not like him for his outspoken attitude. He did not hesitate to tell a superior if he felt an order was foolish or dangerous.

"Unfortunately, they do. Shortly before the delegation arrives, a shuttle will be here to take you to Earth space and greet them."

"If you don't mind me asking, why me? Surely there are others more qualified."

"You were recommended for the job. We want to give the Minbari a show of strength, and considering your record, you would do a better job than most… Captain."

"And you think I'll be well equipped to handle myself if things go badly?"

"To put it bluntly, yes. These are dangerous times, Sinclair, and we are not sure why the Minbari are coming now. We've managed to keep it quiet, but the press is going to get wind of this soon. I, for one, do not want an interstellar incident to occur."

"I understand, Admiral."

"Good." The screen went black, and he rubbed his temples, deciding to try and get back to bed. However, he was nervous about this new development and not sure why they picked him in particular. True, he served with distinction, but he was not the only one to do so.

In spite of his nervousness, it didn't take him long to fall asleep.


	4. Silence

A warning: some parts of this chapter will be rated M, so if it is not

something you wish to see, simply skip it.

X X X X X X X X X X

September 22, 2260

"Satai Delenn, we should be arriving at Earth in approximately 2 standard hours." Lennier informed her.

"Thank you, Lennier; let me know when we have finally arrived." Delenn replied. She had tried many times, but he still referred to her as "Satai". It was flattering, in a way, but reminded her of her fateful decision that cost billions of lives. Hopefully, she could start making up for it today.

"Still nervous about this, aren't you?" Branmer noticed.

"Yes, I am, but this is something that must be done." Delenn told him. "I have to make amends with the human using whatever method I can."

"You do realize they may be tempted to kill you?" Bramner pointed out. "They understandably hold us in low esteem."

"I am awake of the risks, old friend, but it is a risk I deem necessary. We will have our standard security. I would prefer that we show a more benevolent face to them, but things being as they are, that is not possible."

"I should warn you that there may be no way to make up for this. When our war began, I was as enraged as anyone else and wanted nothing but blood. As time went on, and I saw how vicious our people were becoming, my mind began to turn against it. What could be done at that point, however? The war had long since taken a life on its own."

"All of us were enraged at Dukhat's death, Bramner; you were no exception to that." They had this conversation many times before, and each of them knew how it would end. Each of them would put the blame onto themselves, while the other would try to reassure. It brought up painful memories of that time, but their friendship always endured.

"When Lennon died in an attack, I saw it as evidence of human treachery and my rage returned. I threw myself into the war, ordering every human killed, no matter who they were."

"I remember that time; you were nearly unreachable, impossible to help you see reason." At that point, their friendship had nearly broken apart. When she tried to talk with him, to calm him, he screamed at her, calling her dreadful things. He shouted at her his intention to personally squeeze out the life of every human in the galaxy, until one day, he changed, feeling trapped in a war he did not want to fight.

"There is something I should tell you before I die, and it has to do with what happened after I treated you in such fashion."

"What is it? You can tell me."

"It is not easy to admit, and I hope that you can forgive me for it. On the Flynn colony, one of our ground wars, you remember what happened?"

"I know some of the details; that every human on the colony was killed, but our Warriors suffered heavy casualties, much higher than any of our leaders predicted." One of their War Cruisers was torn to bits by ground weaponry, forcing them to make a landing on that colony.

"Yes, and now I will tell you my role in it. Once most of the military forces were destroyed, with only a few groups of fighters still active, I ordered every civilian rounded up. The old, the young, men, women, children, it didn't matter.

"Once they were all together, I ordered all of them executed. There was one, a woman, who attacked one of my warriors, even killing him with a weapon we had missed. She pleaded with me, in their, language, not to kill her family. I…. I just laughed and ordered them dragged to me. She cried, and fought, trying to get out of their grip. I took her weapon and… plunged it into the heart of each one. Her mate and her younglings.

"They were innocents; their only crime was being born human. None of them were combatants, taking shots at our warriors on the colony. Their eyes have haunted my nightmares ever since. After the massacre, I took a good look at myself, what I was doing, what I was becoming. Afterwards, I felt trapped in a war I did not want to fight. I asked the Grey Council to find an end to the war. Even you refused to discuss a way out.

"As our forces closed in, I tried to get the warriors to let them surrender, let them be taken prisoner; they refused and I had no power to stop them. Perhaps the war was right when we did not know of the misunderstanding, but nothing justified our attempt at genocide."

"Each of us carry our own guilt in this conflict. Perhaps now we can take the first step to making amends."

"If only the Grey Council would have allowed the details of the war released. Even now, our people are taught that rumors of our crimes are nothing more than propaganda designed to discredit us in front of the galaxy. There is no need; we have done an excellent job of that ourselves."

"Yes, and now the humans hold great hate for us. Every time our people meet, it ends in violence."

"I was reading what Valen had written during the last Great War. He told of a time where our people would come to a crossroads, finding ourselves at the brink of victory. According to him, the wrong decision would twist and darken a piece of our soul. Did he know of the conflict that was to come?"

"It is possible; none of us knew much about Valen. He was known to be very secretive. Look, we must have the strength to be able to do this. It will not be easy, though."

"Agreed, Delenn." Bramner left his quarters, Delenn following. According to the hyperspace beacons, they were less than one standard hour away from Earth. Every second seemed like a day to both of them, their nervousness tearing them apart inside, but still knowing that this was necessary.

X X X X X X X X X X

"I would like to personally thank you for your support, Ambassador G'Kar." General William Hague told him. "Any help you give us is appreciated."

"Of course; we will give you whatever we can." G'kar smiled. "After all, we are allies, and that is our job."

"Well, when the Minbari come, we're going to need all the support we can get." Colonel Jennifer Miller told him. She had always been hesitant about the alliance with the Narns, even though it helped Earth rebuild far more rapidly than they would have managed otherwise. In response to the Minbari delegations, the Narn Regime had sent several heavy cruisers into Earth space, meant as a reminder that if the Minbari intend to fight, they will not stand alone.

"Now if I may make a request, we would like your assistance as well." G'kar told him. "After all, our alliance goes in both directions."

"Very well; what do you want?" Hague asked.

"On behalf of my government, I asked that you send a few of your ships near the Gorash system, where the Centauri are making threatening gestures." G'kar requested. "It is our hope that an Earth presence will deter them from doing anything rash."

"How many are you asking for?" Miller wondered.

"Under ideal circumstances, a dozen." G'kar responded. "The prospect of fighting both of our empires, I believe, will deter him from future aggression."

"Perhaps, but what of their new emperor?" Hague wondered. "He is angry, aggressive, and to put it mildly, not someone we were hoping would take charge after Turhan's death."

"However, with the circumstances being what they are, we would like your assistance. Remember, we were the only ones who were willing to support you in your war with the Minbari. We gave you the prototype weapons that you now use in your battleships."

"We are well aware of this, but we cannot make such a decision immediately." Miller cut in.

"Why not? It didn't take us very long." Na'toth responded, glaring at the humans.

"I cannot promise that we will send everywhere you require, but I will make sure we can at least send something, even if it is only a symbolic gesture." Hague cut in.

"I thank you for your support." G'kar replied, though he was privately disappointed. He, along with most of the Kha'Ri, were growing worried about Emperor Refa. G'Kar never believed that he would actually miss an Centauri emperor, but looking back, at least under Emperor Turhan, they were unlikely to go to war. The previous emperor even conceded a couple of colonies in order to try and placate the expanding Narns.

"Does your government know why the Minbari have suddenly decided to open diplomatic relations with us?" Miller asked.

"No, we do not." Na'Toth admitted. "Our intelligence have tried to find out, but we have not been successful so far."

"Neither have we; there is concern that this is meant to force us to concede our colonies we have retaken over the years." Miller replied. "Already there is a major outcry on Earth. I am sure you understand better than most what our feelings toward the Minbari are." She forced herself to stay strong. During the invasion, everyone she knew were killed, either in the bombardment or by capture. She still remembered what happened to her little sister when she was taken by them. The images never left her mind.

"Yes, we are similar in many ways, which is why we formed an alliance with you in the first place." G'kar smiled. "Neither of us want to experience such a thing again, so it seemed prudent. Rest assured, you have our full support. If something does happen, the Earth Alliance will not stand alone."

"And neither will you if the Centauri decide to launch an attack." Hague promised. "Our sources tell us that most of the Centauri are not willing to fight a war with you, especially with both of us at the same time. However, the nobles that are backing Emperor Refa are dismissive, believing that they will be able to succeed."

"And what chance do you give us if we have to fight the Centauri alone?"

"In open war, none." Miller cut in. "I'm well aware of your patriotism and bravery, but be realistic. Their technology is still superior to yours, and their fleets are greater. Your best hope would be to meet them in a war of attrition, make them pay a high enough price to where they would decide that it is not worth conquering you. They want an easy victory, not a drawn-out fight."

"You underestimate our capabilities." Na'Toth snarled. She had always been against forming an alliance with the humans. True, they could understand one another, but it didn't take them long to prove themselves as a superior partner. Their government generally had to concede to them; they were Narn! They conceded to no one.

"Na'toth, control yourself!" G'kar rebuked. He knew they were likely right, which was why after they had first obtained their freedom, they had seized as many worlds as they possibly could, for resources to fight the Centauri. However, it did seem like they were going to be restricted to their current borders.

"Now neither of us can promise anything, but I hope to convince my government to send support to your Regime, as a token of our alliance." Miller stated. "After all, if you want peace, prepare for war."

"But we recommend that you start moving towards a war economy; the Centauri are growing more aggressive by the day." Hague advised.

"We have noticed this for ourselves." G'kar replied. "It will not be difficult to convince the rest of the Kha'Ri."

"However, I have been ordered to give you a warning: we will not support you if your fleet makes the first strike." Hague informed. "If you launch a war of aggression, you will launch it alone."

The humans and Narns debated for the next hour, mostly going over the same points. They were making little leeway, and eventually decided that they had to respect the humans wishes. Afterwards, they talked about more trivial matters, such as trade agreements.

X X X X X X X X X X

The Minbari opened up a jump point approximately 100,000 miles from Earth, the 3 Sharlin cruisers being greeted by over two dozen earth ships and hundreds of fighters. To the right side, Narn cruisers had their weapons locked onto them. It was more effective than the human sensors during the war, but only slightly.

"Ignore them; they know better than to open fire." Bramner ordered. "Continue on course." Inwardly, though, he was worried because it appeared as if they had at least partly broken the stealth every Minbari ship had, regardless of its size.

"I only hope that you are right." Delenn replied. Inwardly, she was worried that a furious human captain would attempt to lock onto their ships and fire. Considering how many there were and the improvements made in the last 10 years, it would be a short fight. "We do not need another major incident."

"Minbari vessel, this is Captain Susan Ivanova of the Sitting Bull." They heard a transmission. "You are ordered to stop your approach at once. I say again, you are ordered to stop your approach at once."

"We are on a peaceful mission to your world." Bramner responded. "There is no reason to be alarmed."

"Sure, tell me another one." Ivanova laughed derisively. "If this is a peaceful mission, as you call it, you can take the reminder of the journey in a shuttle. If you come any closer, we will shoot you down, understood?" Bramner gave the affirmative and turned off communications.

"Do you think it is a good idea to do so?" He asked.

"They are afraid of us, and they hold much resentment." Delenn responded. "It would be wiser not to appear threatening. Both of us will go, as will Lennier. He speaks their language better than either of us."

They walked to the shuttle. Each member of the Warrior Caste along with them asked to come along, just in case the humans attempted an assassination. Reluctantly, Bramner decided to bring a couple of them. The danger was real, this he knew, although he didn't think they would be foolish enough to try anything.

The shuttle detached and flew towards Earth, staying on course. They sensed both Narn and human vessels targeting their ships, including several fighters that were "escorting" them.

X X X X X X X X X X

_I will not open fire; I will not blow their ships to hell. _Ivanova repeated to herself, her fingers on the firing control. It took every bit of self-control she had not to order them to attack, even though the logical part of her knew that it would be nothing but a disaster. She clenched her fists, all the memories coming back

During the war, she had lost everyone that she cared about. Ganya had died in one of their fleet battles, while her father and Rabbi Koslov perished in a Mass Driver assault. St. Petersberg was a stubborn holdout, which was likely why they chose it as a target.

Afterwards, she joined the resistance, despite her young age, and become known as one of the most vicious fighters of the group. The few Warriors that survived her interrogations were never whole again.

X X X X X X X X X X

Sinclair flew a squadron of Starfuries between the Minbari ships, looking over their design. They had managed to do so before, but during the war, they never survived long enough to get any real intelligence about them.

_Interesting; they have no anti-fighter weapons, and most of their guns are on the front of their ship. _Sinclair observed. _If we have to face these cruisers in combat again, we can attack from the flank, though it will be difficult because of their fighters. _

The squadron flew around the cruisers for several minutes, gathering as much intelligence as they could about weapons, defenses, engines, anything they could. Sinclair had to admit, unlike many people, he did not want another war with the Minbari. He hated them, yes, but felt they had to focus their efforts on rebuilding their home.

X X X X X X X X X X

Delenn, Bramner, and their bodyguards walked down to Earth, looking at their surroundings. The surrounding area was badly burned and devastated. Delenn bowed her head, haunted with the knowledge that this was because of her, because of her anger.

Armed humans greeted her party; all of them held guns in their hand and glared at the Minbari furiously. For a short time, she thought they would open fire; she looked at each of their faces in turn. _They would gladly shoot all of us down without a second thought; their souls are full of hatred._

It was a tense standoff. The Minbari warriors moved forward, brandishing their pikes and their version of PPG's ready for use at a moment's notice. The humans glared back, not budging an inch, some of them fondling their guns, as if they were hoping for an excuse to use them.

Finally, though, President Alexandria Foreman walked out of the building, a neutral expression on her face, an interpreter at her right side. "Greetings, Minbari delegation." She stated, no emotion in her voice. "What do we owe the… honor of this visit?" At the moment, the diplomatic situation was what some called "Correct": where both sides despise each other, but are too polite to say as much.

"I am Delenn of the Minbari Frederation, and this is Shai Alyt Bramner of the Star riders clan." Delenn greeted, trying to keep her emotions under control. Both bowed slightly in greeting and continued. "I apologize for not informing you earlier, but I thought it was best to keep- what do you humans call it- mum about our visit until now."

"What is this visit about?" Foreman asked. "Earth is not interested in opening diplomatic relations with your people."

"I understand, but there is something I must do." Delenn bowed her head. "Now will you allow us in?" Foreman thought it over for several minutes before reluctantly giving permission. The human soldiers followed, them and the Minbari still glaring death at one another. All of them looked through the building, while Delenn gave a small smile at the portraits in the hallways. It reminded her of some of the scenes on Minbar. _They have such talent to be able to create something like that by hand, with no technology. Humans are a complex people, more than I realized. _

They continued walking through the corridors until they arrived in what looked like a perfectly ordinary room. "I request one of your visual devices." Delenn asked. "There is a message I need to send to your people; please, this is important! It must be done!" Foreman reluctantly nodded and they went to get one.

"You still haven't told us why you're here." The President asked. She hated the Minbari as much as any human now did, but forced herself to remain polite. "You have not had any contact with us since the end of the war. Why have you decided to change that?"

"I can only do this once, so pleas be patient with me." Delenn replied. If she was not in front of humans, she would perform a calming ritual before giving her presentation. Still, she was not sure even that would help her at the moment.

They stayed silent until one of their devices was brought to her. It was turned on, as she stood in front of it, billions of humans around the Earth Alliance staring at her.

"I am Delenn of the Minbari Federation." she greeted them in accented but understandable English. "I know most of you hold little love for us over the war that began 15 of your years ago. Since then, we have had no diplomatic relations with one another, but I intend to change that today.

"What I must say is difficult, but something that must be done. On behalf on my people, I apologize for launching the war. I am sorry for what my people have done to yours, what our leaders ordered. We can never move past the cycle of hatred that now exists between us until we are willing to apologize and to try and find a way to atone for our actions, to make up, as you say, for what we have done, for the crimes we have committed."

She continued her speech, broadcast all over the Earth Alliance, talking about building a better future for both of their people. She spoke about trying to move on, and about healing their wounds. Finally, with each second dragging by, she walked off the screen, their video camera now turned off.

X X X X X X X X X X

"So the Minbari have a conscience after all?" Sinclair mused. "I never would have guessed it. Hmm, suppose I should not judge the entire people for what their leaders did."

X X X X X X X X X X

"Do they really think an apology is going to fix this?" Sheridan raged. "They killed billions of us, and now they want us to say 'we forgive you; let's be friends'? Not a chance in hell!"

"John, it is a beginning." Anna tried to reason. "True, they have committed great crimes, but I believe we must find a way to get along, or there will only be more pain and death." Sheridan looked at his wife, unconvinced.

X X X X X X X X X X

"The only good Minbari is a dead Minbari." Ivanova snarled to herself. "Every fiber of my being wants to target their ships and open fire, but they'd launch another genocidal war against us." Even so, she knew that it wasn't over; she looked forward to the day where they would come into conflict once again, and that time, Earth was not going to lose.

X X X X X X X X X X

_Apologize for what? _Hydalo wondered; he was one of the warriors Bramner and Delenn brought along. _Apologize for launching a righteous war against these vicious, evil savages? They got everything they deserved, except their extermination. She has just shamed our people in front of our most hated enemy!_

X X X X X X X X X X

_I must admit, I did not expect this turn of events. _G'kar thought. All the intelligence his people had on the Minbari said that they would never do such a thing, being afraid to lose face. Their war had changed many things, in ways he did not see until now.

To him, it was even more surprising than the Centauri emperor apologizing to the Narns the previous year. They and the humans had much in common, and now it seemed as if they had one more. _This will have disturbing implications._

X X X X X X X X X X

After Delenn had made her apology, the Minbari were "encouraged" to leave. Everyone in that room knew that her words were going to shake a lot of people, and no one knew for sure just what the results were going to be.

They were handed several data crystals. When the Minbari asked what they were, Foreman simply smiled and said: "Let's just say you'll find the information on these crystals… interesting. We modified them to be compatible with your technology."

They soon arrived back at the war cruiser. The human pilots were sending various tachyon transmissions in their direction. Delenn had only a limited understanding of their language, but based on what she did understand and the tone of their voices, she gathered that it was less than complimentary.

Once Delenn and Bramner were alone in her room, she decided to play the crystals. A massive screen filled the room; it started completely ordinary. They saw several warriors talking, discussing the war and the plans they were making to deal with the stubborn human resistance.

After a few minutes, they dragged a couple of human prisoners into their headquarters. One was a boy of around 10; the other was a middle-aged man who was likely his father. One of the warriors grinned, laughed, and smacked him across the face with his pike, knocking him to the ground.

The others spoke, pinning the child to a table, chaining him down. "We've got a little gift for your people." The warrior stated. "I lost my closest friend to you savages; now I pay him back." He took out a knife and brandished it in his face. The man looked at him with fear, but glared at his captors defiantly.

However, the warrior turned his attention to the child. His screams echoed throughout the whole room as he squirmed. The father struggled in the other's grip, trying to get to him, but even his desperation was not enough to free him from two Minbari. The child screamed even louder as the warriors laughed and joked around him.

After a few minutes, the one in charge turned back to the favor, something on top of his knife. _That is a human organ! _Delenn gasped in shock. _What could possibly justify such cruelty?_

He threw it next to the father. "I believe you have two of these, human." He smiled. "It seems as if I will have to cut out the other one." The father fought again, screaming at him, pleading with him to stop, pleading for him to show mercy. He was struck down, and he wept in despair and helplessness.

_Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! _Delenn screamed, screaming mentally at her fellow Minbari, demanding that they cease their actions, warning them about the punishment they will receive. However, she knew she could do nothing but watch in horrified fascination. The Minbari removed the other one, until mercifully, the child lay still, its blood spraying on the clothes of the Warriors.

"This is what we're going to do to all of your kind, for killing our greatest leader, for all the war crimes you have committed in your unprovoked attack and your futile resistance." He growled, slitting the man's throat. He choked and fell to the ground, dead. "Bring in the next one."

The next human was another child, this one a girl around a year younger than their previous victim. Bramner felt sick, like he couldn't watch any more of this, but his eyes were still glued to the projection. In a way, he was going through even more than Delenn was. He knew many of these warriors; they were his fellow warriors, even his friends. He had talked with them, spent time with them, even became close to them, and all this time, they were nothing but monsters.

None of them knew how much time had passed, how many victims they saw being tortured, their own people committing atrocities beyond all description. Bramner felt weak, until everything went dark.

Once the data crystal stopped playing, Delenn collapsed onto the floor of her room, wrapping her arms around herself, closing her eyes, trying to get the images she saw out of her head. _My fault, my fault, on my hands_. She even looked and saw the blood of innocents pouring down her hands.

Shaken, she got up off the floor and found water and strong soap; she scrubbed as much as she could, trying to get the blood off, screaming to herself. No matter how hard she tried, though, her hands were covered in red; her hands burned, the skin peeling off, but still she kept rubbing, want to get rid of it, no matter what it meant.

She collapsed against the wall and wept, realizing for the first time what her moment of rage had truly cost, knowing that the innocent blood could never be erased. She cried until there were no more tears to give. Delenn walked around her room, in a complete daze, the images flashing through her head. She knew they would stay with her for the rest of her life.

She looked at Branmer, but he was not responding. Delenn put her hand on his shoulder, but he only slumped down. _He is dead; he could not endure those images, either. I knew he didn't have long to live, but this is not the way anyone would have chosen for him to die. _

"Satai Delenn, are you all right?" Lennier asked with concern, barging into the room. "I humbly apologize for the uninvited intrusion, but I was deeply concerned for you. What happened to you? What happened to Bramner?"

_You are still innocent, Lennier; I cannot show such a terrible thing to you right now. Hmmm, I will show this to the Grey Council, all of it, let them show what they are responsible for. It is on my hands as well, but I must find some way to make this right! Some way to heal all the wounds we have suffered!_

"Please, Lennier, I cannot talk about it at the present time." Delenn looked at her aide sadly. "Branmer has passed away; I would like to see his final wishes. All I can say is that I now understand why they hate us so." _Our crimes are far, far greater than I imagined. How can they forgive us for this? How can we forgive ourselves?_

_X X X X X X X X X X _

Yeah, this chapter took a lot longer than I thought. I've been through it a few times, and am still not happy about it, but decided not to keep you waiting forever. This is something close to how I want it to be.

In addition, I do have some personal things going on in my life right now, so my focus is split in many directions. I apologize for the long delay.

As always, please review.


	5. The wheel turns

Wow, it has been a long time, hasn't it? I've been getting ready for school, trying to deal with personal crap, and giving emotional support to someone who means a great deal to me. Hopefully, the length of this chapter will at least partially make up for the delay.

X X X X X X X X X X

Morann walked into a room hidden in one of the Minbari colonies. Few knew it existed, and even fewer knew what was inside. "Leave me; I go in alone." He ordered. "No one is to disturb us." They nodded and left as the door slammed shut.

It looked like many other rooms, furniture, crystals, and various pieces of technology. Several guns of various types were hung up on the walls; what was unusual was the person inside, who was currently reading pieces of paper.

"Satai Morann, to what do I owe this honor?" He was asked, the figure still not looking up.

"You will pay attention when I am speaking, Deathwalker!" he snarled.

"So they called me." Jha'dur chuckled. "You know, human psychology papers really can be quite amusing, Morann. They spend endless time and debate wondering why I did what I did during the war. The one I'm reading now speculates that I was abused sexually by my family, and my aggression was a way of coping with it. Ha, they never cease to amuse me! What utterly pointless writing! They always seem to think some sort of abuse in childhood is responsible for all the evil in existence. Others think I was oppressed when I was younger, and when I managed to achieve power, I decided to strike back at them! Oh, well, it's still more entertaining than most of what I have read."

"I think you know what this is about, Deathwalker." Morann replied. "So start talking!"

"The humans again, hmm? That does seem to be all anyone talks about in recent times. They do know how to attract attention, do they not? It's quite a shame you refused to use those toys I worked so hard to build for you. I've told you never to underestimate them, and you never seem to listen."

"Never mind that! They are building up and making aggressive moves in our direction. What are they going to do?"

"It is a question with a very obvious answer: they are going to attack you, probably within the next couple of years."

"They wouldn't dare; they know what they suffered in our war!"

"Even after all this time, you don't understand them at all. The first rule of war is to know your enemy. The Dilgar lost because we underestimated humanity. Most of the Warmasters dismissed them as primitive and no threat, the very words I believe the Grey Council used."

"Why do you say they are going to attack us?"

"They seek revenge for the first war. What you need to understand, Satai (she used his title with particular derision) is that when you lose a war, it is never over. You want vengeance, you want to prove that you can defeat them and make them suffer for the wrongs you suffered at their hand."

"They are not foolish enough to try any such thing with us. We came within an inch of crushing them. If only that cursed Delenn had allowed us to use your weapons, they would no longer be a problem!"

"Yes, I've talked to her a few times. Young, idealistic, intelligent, and wishes to believe the best about others." She remembered their last conversation, just after Lennon was killed. She was upset, frantic, wanting to know what to do then. Jha'dur simply taunted her about being responsible for the destruction of an entire race. That was definitely an amusing turn of events.

"I highly doubt that they will be foolish enough to enter warfare with us a second time. Even if by some unlikely circumstance they are, we would crush them easily, just as we did before."

"Arrogance and stupidity all in the same cart. You dismiss them as laughably primitive, yet your economy nearly collapsed when fighting them! You call them weak, but the kind of losses you suffered when fighting them on their colonies and their home all but broke you!"

"You sound like you're actually fond of them."

"No, but I hold great respect for them; they managed to defeat us, someone I believed no one by you and perhaps the Centauri were capable of."

"They are a joke! We slaughtered them easily in space, and always won on the ground!"

"Two points I should make. If you were so confident that they are no threat to you, you would not be asking me about them. Second, perhaps you should take a good look at the kind of losses you suffered during the war."

"It was nothing we could not replace."

"47 Warcruisers, 91 Tinashis, and close to 2000 fighters. That's not including all your ships that were heavily damaged, or the crews you lost, so that would be around triple the previous amount. I would have to say you lost roughly 80,000 Minbari in space warfare, all of it from what you call a 'laughably primitive race'."

"They were lucky; they launched sneak attacks, fought dishonorably!" Morann knew that she was wrong, meaning that their losses were even higher than that to reach Earth, not counting all the ships they lost during the siege.

"Honor means nothing in the real world; you fight to win in war, nothing more. You destroyed ships that couldn't fight back, that attempted to surrender. Your goal was to wipe out them human race. I believe there's a human saying that would fit your words: 'the kettle calling the teapot grey'. Something along those lines, at any rate."

"They are savages, murderers, monsters! They deserved everything they got and more!"

Jha'dur laughed to herself; she loved nothing more than to destroy other's supposed superiority. "You launched a war of genocide over a simple misunderstanding. There are many examples of this in history, on Earth and Omelos. The technologically superior group dismiss the primitive ones as savage and barbaric whenever they are humiliated and yet they commit such crimes on a much larger scale! The superior controls the inferior; law of the galaxy."

"We are superior to them in every way! If you continue, I'll send you on a course for League space and let them listen to you!"

"Such fragile pride, your mind trapped by ideology. We believed ourselves superior as well, that any non-Dilgar was nothing more than a slave at best, and now our world is dead and my people cursed. I advise you not to make the same mistake, as I have always told you.

"And now, from all reports, the humans have more powerful ships. They have heavier armor, more maneuverability, and more firepower than the ones of the previous generation. Let's also add the fact that you left some of your technology behind and they are working tirelessly to duplicate it. I imagine they have succeeded, at least in part.

"They have also managed to reclaim most of the colonies you took from them in the war, except for the ones that had only a sparse population in any case. The humans also own most of the Markab colonies in all but name, made a deal with the Drazi for joint ownership of their outer colonies, and hold a massive grudge against your people! I would not underestimate them!"

"They can't possibly want to go through everything again! Their planet is all but uninhabitable! Even a moderate attack on Earth would finish them!"

"Yes, simply trying to rebuild and survive would be the logical thing to do, especially after being nearly exterminated by a more advanced race. Thank the gods for their good fortune and struggle to rebuild, which almost any other race would do. Not humanity; they will attack you, sooner or later."

"Then what would you have us do?"

"Attack then now and defeat them… while you still can."

"While we still can? They will never be able to defeat us, and they cannot possibly be foolish enough to wish to fight us on the battlefield a second time!"

"You still refuse to listen, Morann. Even if you attacked today, it would be very difficult for you. You would suffer heavier losses, more defeats, and I doubt that Earth will fight alone this time. The Narns have made an alliance with them, as have the Drazi."

"Weak, even weaker than the humans. We should have punished the Narn for selling weapons to them!"

"Yes, and yet you did not. Perhaps the others realized that your fleet is too small to be everywhere at once. If you sent a part of it to hit the Narns, the humans would have more time to rebuild and improve their weapons, fortifying their defenses. And of course, the Narns would try and hit back, forcing you to fight a war on 2 fronts. Terrifying the League into standing down is probably the only smart thing you did during the entire war!"

Morann simply shrugged. "Some of them were foolish enough to try and answer their call for assistance. We simply made them understand it would not be in their best interest."

"I believe, though, the Drazi decided to ignore you and send a fleet anyway. Your response to that was noted in the League and they decided to obey… at least until you burned the Abbai homeworld, which I warned would have consequences. It doesn't matter how peaceful a race is. If you attack them, they are going to defend themselves. Oh, yes, I believe you promised to exterminate them when you returned, all because they decided to help a few humans."

"I voted to do just that; I was overruled!"

"Yes, the Warrior Caste loves to win and hates to lose. What chance would a primitive, peaceful race stand against the mighty Minbari Federation? Except of course, your little war with the humans got in the way. That little distraction doomed your efforts at genocide."

"None of the League worlds who declared war on us were able to do anything more than a pinprick. We should never have ended the war! We should have wiped the humans off the face of the Earth!"

"Yet the Religious Caste prevented you from doing so. After so many of your people died, after your greatest leader was killed, they did not allow you to finish off the race responsible. For the first time in this conversation, Morann, you have said something intelligent.

"However, while the Abbai, Hyach, and Drazi are no match for you technologically, they forced you into more fronts when you were already spread thin, I believe they actually managed to score some victories against you; how impressive."

"We shot them out of space easily; they could not stand against us unless it was at 10-to-1 odds! What would you have us do now?"

"I see your attempt at intelligence was short-lived. Yet again, you are missing the point. They took heavy losses, but you suffered as well. True, casualties were light, but it forced you to spread yourselves even thinner, giving the humans an opportunity to strike back! I told you to leave them alone, let them bleed themselves dry trying to take your colonies, and finish off the humans first. Then you could turn around and fight them; you never seem to listen to me, even when I am proven right over and over."

"Never mind the past; how do we repair the damage?"

"Attack the humans immediately at full force before they can do the same to you. You will suffer, you will bleed far more than you did 12 years ago, but at the present time you should be able to pull it off. When you reach Earth, fire my weapons and exterminate humanity. You could have done it, only Delenn forced you to fight conventionally.

"Still, plenty of things can go wrong. Your economy can collapse, you could be surrounded by enemies who decide to assist Earth, and they may well decide to do the same to you. I guarantee you they have biological weapons capable of killing your kind. There is only one thing I know for sure: the longer you wait, the more certain your defeat is."

"I will bring it up with the Grey Council; we will talk again, Deathwalker."

"So they called me!" Jha'dur laughed. Morann walked out of the room, leaving her alone. She grinned to herself; her plans were slowly being set in motion.

X X X X X X X X X X

October 3, 2260

Designated Earth-Minbari neutral zone.

EAS Sitting Bull

Ivanova watched the small fleet as it made its way through hyperspace. Everything was off the books here; officially, none of this even existed. Still, this was an experiment that must be made.

The neutral zone was made soon after the Earth-Minbari war, covering around 1.5 light years and by treaty, no warships from either side were allowed to enter it. Of course, this rule was frequently broken by both sides, which led to a few skirmishes.

"Have we picked up any signals yet?" Ivanova asked. She was nervous about this job, but forced herself to stay on task. She was getting what she had been hoping for years.

"No, Captain, not yet." Commander Yamato responded. "All due respect, Captain, there may not be anything here. This is a neutral zone, after all."

"I'm well aware of that, Commander." She replied. "I'm sure they're out there, and we're going to wait here until they do. If we do this right, we can embarrass the hell out of these Minbari bastards. And of course, test our new equipment."

He nodded in understanding. A few months ago, the scanners on the Earthforce ships had been upgraded, something they hoped could finally break through the Minbari stealth. Nobody had ever managed to crack it during the war, which made fighting them extremely difficult.

"Jump!" Ivanova ordered. They felt a brief jolt as the fleet jumped into normal space. She looked around and smiled to herself. Three of their best ships, along with several modified Corvettes. They had improved weapons, interceptors, and a powerful pulse gun on the front of the ship meant as a "Ship Destroyer" a concept borrowed from the "Tank Destroyers" of the 20th century. However, this meant they had thin armor and were not jump capable, so they had to be protected at all times.

All fighters were launched from the bays, numbering around 70 of them, including 20 of the new Thunderbolts. Their weapons were powered up and ready to fire; now all they needed was a target.

"Captain, I think your wish is coming true." Yamato told Ivanova. "We've detected some signals in hyperspace; it could be them. Remember, their jump engines are still more accurate than ours."

"That's true, but they are not expect us to be ready for attack." Ivanova stated. "Still, spread the ships a little farther apart just in case. If they decide to jump in the middle of us, let's make sure we aren't all caught in the crossfire. Send signals to the other ships. Let the Minbari know we're here."

_Neutral zone, ha; this area is ours by right! _Ivanova snarled to herself. Indeed, it did once belong to the Earth Alliance, holding some of their deep-range colonies. However, when Earthforce tried to reclaim it in the past, they were met by a fleet of Minbari ships, forcing them to retreat.

X X X X X X X X X X

Ivanova was not the only one with the same idea. Two Minbari war cruisers were drifting around in hyperspace, scanning the neutral zone for any enemy ships. The very sight of a Minbari war cruiser sent chills through all members of the younger races, from the most primitive of the League worlds to the Centauri Royal Navy.

"Alyt Takai, we have detected signals in the neutral zone, normal space." an aide walked to him, bowing before giving him report. "Preliminary analysis from our experts say that these appear to be human ships."

"They should know by now that is a violation of our treaty." Takai responded, glaring. True, the Minbari broke it all the time, but they were a superior race. Inferiors like the humans had no business being in this area. A few of their ships had already been shot down, although they were under strict orders from the Grey Council not to use lethal force unless absolutely necessary. "Take us out of hyperspace." The ships jumped and went to confront the humans.

They stayed silent for a short time until the human ships were in visual range. "They don't look very impressive, Alyt Takai." His aide mentioned.

"No, they don't, but be cautious." Takai replied. "Remember how they destroyed the Black Star. They mined an asteroid field and led it into a trap. I do not intend to have the same thing happen to us."

As they got closer, it was apparent that there were more ships than he had first suspected. There were three of the new ones, along with several smaller ships. He was aware that if this turned into a shooting match, it could turn ugly. Takai had full confidence that they would win, but it could turn into a major diplomatic incident. The Minbari were already the most hated race in the galaxy at the moment; no reason to make that reputation worse.

"Is the stealth activated?" He asked.

"Yes, Alyt, it is at maximum power at this very moment."

"Good; launch fighters, discourage the humans from making any foolish moves, and then open communications."

X X X X X X X X X X

Ivanova watched as Minbari fighters were launched; formidable, but they were outnumbered around 3 to 1. If they kept their heads, this shouldn't be a problem. "Have our fighters move in closer; see if we can provoke them into making the first move." Ivanova ordered. "Turn on our scanners to half strength; let them underestimate our capabilities."

"Human vessels, you are ordered to retreat at once!" a Minbari captain showed up on the screen. "You will retreat or we will open fire!"

"Negative, Minbari vessel." Ivanova replied. "We aren't going anywhere. We have a right to go where we wish. Leave us alone and you will not be harmed."

"You will leave the neutral zone or we will open fire." The Minbari warned. "Perhaps you think we are joking; we are not. You have 2 of your minutes to comply."

X X X X X X X X X X

Takai was running a bluff. He was ordered not to fire unless they did so first, but the humans didn't need to know anything like that. "Is our stealth holding?" he asked.

"Yes, Alyt; they are trying to break and lock on, but so far they have not been successful. What are your orders?"

"If we want to destroy them, we have to fire first. Back our ships up slightly, give them less of a target. If they fire at this range, our stealth won't matter." The Minbari ships went in reverse, backing away from the human armada, the fighters following suit.

After around a minute, they were ordered to stop, but the humans were approaching again. Takai uttered a Minbari curse. "I knew the humans were lying when they said they wouldn't harm us. What are the scanners telling us?"

"Alyt, all human weapons have been activated and are attempting to lock on to us."

"Target their ships; perhaps that will discourage them from going any further with their foolish actions." They locked on, their technology able to break through all interfering electronics human ships carried.

X X X X X X X X X X

"Captain, Minbari vessels have locked on." Yamato warned.

Ivanova held back a grin; this was just the opportunity she had been waiting for. "Switch scanners to full power, and all guns open fire! Repeat, all guns open fire!"

The Minbari were caught unprepared by the human barrage. They fired back, damaging one of the Omegas, but they were badly outnumbered. Some of the smaller guns were picking off the Minbari fighters. Their new targeting sensors seemed to have at least some success in breaking their stealth.

Their ship rocked dangerously from enemy fire, but so far, the armor had held. "Main guns, fire!" Ivanova ordered. 'Let's see if we can really damage these ships. Focus all firepower on the left ship!"

They did as ordered and it didn't take long for the Minbari ship to be severely damaged. Their sensors were offline and the jump engine was damaged. The right ship fired, attempting to cover its escape, managing to destroy one of the Corvettes.

In between the ships, the fighters dueled in the sky. The Minbari fighters were still superior, but like the bigger ships, they were badly outnumbered. The new thunderbolts were proving a relative match for them, matching the Minbari in maneuverability and rivaling them in firepower, if still no real match for them in speed.

Another of the Corvettes were destroyed and one of the Omegas were showing serious damage. However, the continuing barrage towards the Minbari was proving effective. One of the war cruisers blew up in a flash of fire, while the other was taking serious damage.

"Move us right next to that cruiser, point-blank range!" she ordered, the ship moving closer. A blast from the Minbari ship hit the front, causing severe damage. Still, the guns were operational and that was all that mattered. The fire from the Minbari ship soon came to a halt as they decided to try and escape.

The remaining Corvettes flew in a line, firing their pulse cannons. Combined with the 3 Omeags, the second war cruiser was also destroyed, dying in a massive explosion. It rocked the ships, causing minor damage to the last untouched destroyer.

Ivanova smiled and clapped her hands. "Ok, so these new sensors work, at least at close range. We'll have to test them again at longer ranges to make sure we have indeed broken the Minbari stealth. What are our casualties?"

"3 of the Corvettes have been destroyed, with all hands." Yamato sighed, bowing his head. The Washington had reported severe damage to the hull and weaponry, along with nearly 50 dead. Us and the Pershing report minor to moderate damage, with only a few casualties. We lost close to 30 fighters, including half of the new thunderbolts. Thankfully, most of them managed to eject in time."

"Are any Minbari fighters still out there?"

"Yes; we haven't finished mopping them up."

"All right, then; if possible, disable the fighters, disable only. Only destroy them if it is absolutely necessary. I'm sure Research and Development would be thrilled if we managed to give them a few of those machines to play with. Now let's get out of here before more Minbari show up."

"Captain, the Washington's jump engines are offline. According to reports, it's going to take a couple of hours for them to repair it."

"All right; we'll have to improvise, then. Once the Minbari fighters are taken in or destroyed, bring back all the fighters. After that, open a jump gate and give them something they can get through."

"Unfortunately, their flight bay is destroyed, so they are not going to be able to take in any fighters."

_Damn it! _She cursed. _Oh, well; nothing ever goes exactly according to plan. _"Okay, their top priority is to repair the launch bays. I don't want us caught out here, especially with the evidence of the Minbari cruisers still nearby." This was an unofficial operation, and if they were caught, Earthgov would deny all knowledge of it, and anyone involved would likely end up getting court-martialed. Ivanova did not intend for her career to end that way.

The next hour moved by very slowly as Ivanova tried to calm her nerves. They were not allowed to contact Earth, not wanting to take the risk of this operation being found out. Finally, the launch bays on the Washington were repaired and they managed to get the last of the fighters. They opened the jump gates and went back into hyperspace.

Altogether, they had managed to obtain 4 Minbari fighters. It was a difficult task, especially since they refused to surrender, but it was finally done. She looked forward to interrogating the pilots.

X X X X X X X X X X

October 4, 2260: Minbar

Although she did a good job of hiding it, Delenn was impatient as she waited for the Grey Council's decision. This has to be done, and she was being delayed. It was not going to be easy, however. Delenn took a deep breath to compose herself.

"Delenn, what exactly are you trying to do?" Lennier asked. "I admit, I do not understand this goal of yours."

"What I have learned on our trip to Earth, others must know as well." Delenn insisted. "They will hate me for it, they will attack me, perhaps even have me killed, but this is a story that has to be told, no matter what."

"Minbari do not kill Minbari; that's our greatest law." Lennier informed her. Although she did not realize it, he took a look at a few of the data crystals. It horrified him, but he felt much less sympathy than she did, especially since he had lost family members on the Black Star. "In any case, although it is not my place to say, I do not believe you should take this step."

"I understand why you believe that, but I cannot. Our people must be told what really happened, and the Grey Council must see what their actions have caused." Ever since she had seen some of the images, her dreams were haunted. Delenn had repeatedly attempted every calming and peaceful ritual she knew of, which as a member of the Religious Caste, she knew many. However, none of them did any good; the images were still stuck in her head and try as she might, she could not remove them.

"I still have a difficult time believing that our people could do anything like this. For the humans, it is easy; they are savages, but us? We could never do anything like that."

"I used to believe that, at least until the war started." Delenn felt responsible for all of it. She knew she was the deciding vote for the war. In her grief and rage, she screamed "Kill them all! No mercy!" She had been trying to make up for her mistake ever since she uttered those fateful, but so far, her efforts had come to nothing.

"As you wish, Delenn. Whatever path you choose, I will be at your side."

Finally, the Grey Council had agreed to see her. She walked into the room with their hoods still closed. Delenn put the crystals inside a recording device, and waited for them to speak.

"Why have you asked to talk to us, Delenn?" Coplann asked. "You are no longer a member of this council. What do you want from us?"

"I want to make you understand what you have done, what we are responsible for." Delenn replied. "It is very easy to stay here, cut off from the rest of civilizations, and pretend that your hands are not stained with blood. I intend to make you see for yourselves!" She turned on the device and stood in the center of the circle.

Even though she had already seen some of these images, it was very difficult for Delenn to keep her composure. The Grey Council watched in silence as one war crime after another was shown. One of the images involved several warriors forcing themselves on a human woman, while she fought helplessly and her loved ones were forced to watch.

More of them involved vivisections of human prisoners. The Minbari screamed at them, calling out names of lost comrades, before getting to work. The captured humans screamed for mercy and death, but it was not given to them. They were burned, branded, mutilated, all because the Warriors had the power to do so.

Delenn forced herself not to look away. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched innocent men, women, and children tortured and killed; this was the consequence of her brief moment of rage. Her legs felt weak and she struggled to stay on her feet.

No one said a word as image after image was played. Finally, mercifully, it ended. Delenn struggled to find her voice again. "That… that was only one example. I was given many data crystals, looked them over, and what it told me is that we have a great deal to answer for. We must try and find a way to redeem ourselves for our crimes!"

"How do we know what the data shows on these crystals are true?" Hedronn asked. "The humans are masters of deception; they could have made this up. I find it impossible to believe that Minbari would act in such a fashion!"

"They are only humans, Delenn." Morann rebuked her. "I doubt any of what you were told is true, and it is of no consequence! They are only humans; they are savages, they are inferior, and they deserve whatever happens to them!"

"Have you forgotten about the coming Shadow War?" Rathenn asked. "Do you not think they could see a potential ally in Earth, manipulating their anger for their own purposes? Delenn is correct; we must find a way to redeem ourselves. We went mad during the war, and we are now the most hated race in the galaxy. How are we to assemble an alliance against the Shadows?"

"Yes, we must form an alliance, but these crystals Delenn has received are forgeries!" Coplann exclaimed. "I admit, they are horrifying and they even look convincing, but it is human propaganda! They used it against us in the war to try and get other worlds to join against us; it was only our warnings that kept them from doing so!"

"When our people were captured by the humans, they were tortured for information and just because the humans had the ability." Hedronn pointed out. "We did not capture humans often, and when we did, we treated them well. I looked over one of our prisons for a short time, and I never heard a word about any mistreatment."

"How hard did you look for it?" Delenn accused. "Did you study what was going on, or was it simply easier to believe that nothing was happening. Why would the humans have told you anything? There was nowhere they could go to. If you were told that our people were torturing and killing them, what would you have said?"

"I would have investigated it." Hedronn replied, but he knew that it was not true. He would have dismissed their claims as lies and walked on.

"True or not, it was nothing more than they deserved, or do you forget the reason we launched the war, Delenn?" Morann accused. "Or that you were the deciding vote in it?"

"I remember it, Morann, and it is something that will haunt me until the end of time." Delenn snapped. "I know you do not wish to believe any of this, but it is true. Branmer told me of one such story before he died."

"It is still not easy to believe, but I think Delenn speaks the truth." Durlan of the Worker Caste stated. "We went mad during the war, destroyed ships that were helpless and attempting to surrender, so it is indeed possible. I am still not entirely convinced that it happened as frequently as Delenn believes, but it did. It was a very brutal war on both sides, or do you not want to remember that we attacked the Abbai for taking in refugees?"

"We warned them not to interfere, and they ignored us!" Morann protested. "We were within our rights to attack them!'

"No, there was not, Morann." Hedronn stated. "The Warrior Caste saw another easy enemy to fight and destroy. The humans deserved our wrath, but they did not. The Abbai saw only wounded sentients and decided to assist."

"They deserved to have their children tortured for no other reason than entertainment?" Delenn screamed in disbelief. "We opened out gun ports as a gesture of respect, and they thought we were going to attack them. Have you forgotten that?"

"Looking back, perhaps our war was a mistake, but how were we to know it then?" Jenimer pointed out. "Our leader was slaughtered in what we saw as an unprovoked attack. True, we should not have gone as far as we did, but the humans are far from innocent victims!"

"These reports of the humans are propaganda and lies, nothing more!" Shakat of the Warrior Caste argued. "We are superior, and they are unhappy about it! After the war, we should never have allowed them to retake their colonies. We've gotten weak because of them!"

"What were we to do?" Jenimer asked. "Our people are in no mood for another war with the humans, and that was the way we all felt then."

"Then perhaps we should have finished them when we had the chance!" Morann exclaimed. "We have let them alive when we should have rid the galaxy of humanity! We would be better off without them!"

"Do you propose launching another war?" Coplann asked.

"I do; sooner or later, they will decide to attack us again." Morann stated, not telling them where he got this information from. "From all reports, their ships are more formidable than before, and we suffered more than we expected during the war."

"True; we did not anticipate the humans refusing to give up when they realized that they were beaten." Durlan admitted. "But they cannot possibly want another war with us. Both sides suffered greatly in the conflict, and we will need our strength. Already the Shadows have begun to move."

"Yes, which is why we have been working with the Vorlons on a few prototypes which we hope will give us a chance to defeat them." Coplann stated. "The Vorlons are the only First Ones on our side this time around, and we must be prepared." They seem to have forgotten about Delenn's presence.

"And it will be more than a match for the humans if they are foolish enough to fight us." Morann smiled. "I fully expect them to try and attack us. On that topic, why have 2 of the Sharlins that were sent to investigate the Neutral Zone not returned?"

"It could be a delay, or simple engine difficulties." Hedronn stated. "They are not late enough to justify such alarm."

"You are not listening to me." Delenn pleaded. "We must redeem ourselves and turn the humans into an ally for the coming Shadow War. It will be difficult, but it must be done, or all of us will pay the price!"

"I believe that is going to be impossible." Durlan admitted. "The most we can hope for is for them to be neutral in this conflict, or fight independently when the Shadows attack them. I agree with Delenn about what we have done, but how can we fix anything? The humans despise us, and we despise them."

"All the more reason to have kept them pinned in their system!" Shakat argued. "By loosening the chains we through around them, they have rebuilt themselves into a major power once again. If we had simply destroyed the first expedition that went to regain their colonies, we would not have this problem now!"

"That would have caused a war, a war that no one was willing to fight." Rathenn reminded him. "We had spilled too much blood by then to want to spill more."

"But we could have beaten them easily!" Morann declared. "They would have been no match for us, and it would have given us the window to finish them off completely!"

"I believe we must give them an official apology for our actions during the war, not an unofficial one as me and Bramner decided to do." Delenn suggested. "It will not be quick or easy to move past our pain, but it can be done. All we need to do is take the first step."

"If we do that, we will look weak in front of the other races." Morann warned. "In any case, they do not deserve an apology for anything."

"I do not believe we will fight another war with them." Hedronn stated. "They will not be willing to go through all of it again. Most of these images are little but human propaganda, which they are using to turn the others against us."

"And it has succeeded in case you were unaware." Jenimer stated. "Our race is cursed throughout the galaxy as a result, there are few who will trade with us for anything, and even fewer who would wish to form an alliance. So far, the Shadows believe we are unaware of their return. For the moment, we must keep it that way."

As they continued to argue, Delenn's heart sank. They did not believe what she told them, not because it wasn't true, but because it was far easier to believe the humans were lying than to think their people were capable of such brutality. Once she was dismissed, she become lost in her thoughts, not even listening to Lennier.

_What do I do now? _Delenn thought. _No one will listen to me because it is easy to blind ourselves. _

X X X X X X X X X X

October 6, 2260

Proxima Colony

Sheridan flew down to Proxima 3, still slightly confused as to why he was chosen for this job. Still, orders were orders, so here he was. Truthfully, he would rather be out in the field, but here he was negotiating first official contact with the Kirani.

Officially, anyway. For years now, they had been making deals on a small scale on Proxima 3, Beta Durani and the Orion colonies. The experiences according to the locals had been very positive, though they didn't say way.

From what little he did now about them, they were a relatively small civilization only holding a few star systems. They had technology roughly equal to what Earth had at the beginning of the Earth-Minbari war. In addition, they were one of the few that managed to repel the Dilgar invasion thirty years previous.

The interesting thing about them was that from a distance, they looked very similar to humans. True, there were some differences, but if you didn't know what to look for, you could get very confused. Sheridan sighed, hoping this would go well. Earthgov had brought several Omeags as a gesture of strength, which he disagreed with. They weren't Minbari, after all.

_Well, I haven't messed up yet. _Sheridan thought to himself. _Just wish I know why we sound so enthusiastic about them. I've even heard rumors about a few of them living here! _

"Why are they having the military do this?" Commander Karen Smith asked. She had recently become his second-in-command on his ship, and was known to be outspoken, which was why he was in command even though she had been serving longer. "This is a job for diplomats."

"True; maybe they're suspicious about them." Sheridan responded. "Since the war, we've been a lot more cautious when jumping into things. Still, let's keep an open mind. The locals seem to like them at least, although I can't get a straight answer as to why."

"I saw a couple of them on our way here." Smith told him. "They really could pass for human; it took me a few seconds to realize it."

"Yeah, the reports say they look just like us, except they have two different eye colors. Once in a while, humans will have that too, but for them it's the norm. On average, they are a few inches shorter than us, and that's about all we know about them biologically."

"Just hope this goes well; the last thing we need is a new enemy."

"No reason for it not to; we barely know one another and there are no standing grudges. Hell, they even gave some quiet support rebuilding our inner colonies. There are bound to be some cultural differences, same as there are with every race, but I think we can overlook that."

Sheridan and Smith sat down in the room, waiting for the Kirani delegation. True, he was not a diplomat, but his father was and he learned a few things from him.

"They may appear somewhat primitive and small, but let's not underestimate them. The Kirani have a formidable fleet."

"Good idea; never underestimate your opponent. If you do that, you've lost before the fight's even begun."

Earlier, he decided to take a look around the colony. It had rebuilt and was far more populated than it was before the war. True, terraforming technology was in its infancy, and it would take centuries for this place to be an Earth-like planet, but they were in the process. Close to 5 million people lived there now, believing life would be better for them here than it would on war-ravaged Earth.

"If they launched an attack, do you believe we could repel them?"

"Most likely, yes. The colony has formidable defenses, along with the ships we have in orbit. You can never guarantee anything, but I believe we could. Still, it's not too likely they would attack. From all reports, they haven't fought a major conflict except for the Dilgar invasion and they managed to repel that."

"I've read the reports, but sometimes aliens scare me. We can never be sure who to trust."

"Fair enough, which is why we're being cautious and bringing more ships than I believe necessary. I wish we didn't and I hope we're not giving them the wrong impression. Generally, I don't have any prejudices towards aliens except for the Minbari. They should be showing up in a couple of minutes, and their representative speaks fluent English."

The two of them stopped talking and waited.

X X X X X X X X X X

Again, am very sorry about the delay of this chapter. Wow, this story is going to get long. The next chapter will be a little more humorous, a few lighter moments in an otherwise very dark novel. Not easy for me to write, but I'll give it a try.

If you're wondering why I added that part with Deathwalker, well… I've read some speculation about why Hitler became the way he was, and it was pretty much how she had described it. We'd probably do the same thing for her, which I believe Jha'dur would find quite amusing.

As always, please review!


	6. Kirani

Wow, I have to admit, I never expected this kind of feedback when I started writing this thing. Thanks a lot; it helps motivate me and since I'm not under quite as much stress as I have been before, I'm hoping updates will be a bit faster. Course, I do have school and I'm worried that my last requirement won't be fulfilled because it's cut.

Review replies:

Nyt Yanse: Both the Shadows and the Vorlons will play a role in the story. What that role will be remains to be seen.

YuTG: There are two reasons why I didn't choose Sheridan as the one who pulled off the mission. One is that even in this world, I don't think it's in Sheridan's character to do so. The second is that I don't want one character doing everything in my story. As for Neroon, he'll have a role in this chapter.

The Vorlons are not happy, but they need to organize the Minbari for the next Shadow War. Not an easy task, considering that they have little stomach for a war after the humans.

Shadowsamurai83: Yes, Ivanova is vicious, and can be so even in the series, and the events in my story would make it worse. She lost her brother and father to the Minbari, so she holds no love for them.

X X X X X X X X X X

"A pleasure to meet you, ambassador." Sheridan smiled, extending his hand. Kirani did look much like humans. Their ambassador was slightly more than 5 feet tall and wore a dress very similar to what a human might. The greatest difference was her eyes; one of them was grey, the other blue.

"And a pleasure to meet you, although I do not understand why I am being introduced to a military officer." Kindre asked. She shook his hand and Sheridan was surprised by the strength of his grip.

"I'm just following orders, Madam; glad to see you've learned our language." Sheridan smiled. "English is not an easy one to learn."

"I have been studying it for a couple of years; this is not my first time coming to your planet."

"Well, one of our colonies, anyway. Please, sit down."

"I will stand… what is your rank?"

"Captain, though just Sheridan will do."

"Captain, thank you. I will stand; it is our custom not to be seated when it comes to discussing important business."

"Whatever you prefer." Sheridan stood up, not wanting to offend the new arrivals, even if his leg did hurt when he stood up for extended periods. "So what do you hope to achieve by making official contact with us?"

"Our people have taken an interest in you, and reports from your colonies have been quite positive."

"Yes, I have heard the same reports; my people seem get to get along well with yours. May I ask if you know why?"

"They have not disclosed- is that the right word- the details. It is rather strange that they do not."

"It seems to be, yes. Would you care to take a general tour of the place?"

"Very well, but I will choose where we go. I have little patience for other societies that try to cover up their negative qualities."

"Okay, lead the way." Kindre walked out of the building, accompanied by several guards. All of them were a few inches shorter than Sheridan, their faces covered with helmets. Each of them held a Kirani PPG rifle, a few inches longer than its Earth equivalent. "All due respect, Ambassador, why do you have so many guards with you at all times?"

"I am not someone who takes chances." Kindre responded. "Is it true that there are anti-alien movements in your Alliance?"

"You're referring to the Homeguard. Yes, we have them, but most of their hate is directed towards the Minbari ever since the war."

"I do not intend to have some of their kind decide that I would be a suitable target. The consequences of such an action will be quite severe."

"I don't like threats, Ambassador."

"It is a warning, nothing more. Many have reported positive experiences here, but I wish to see for myself, as I have said before."

"Then why are you bringing your bodyguards along?" Smith asked, speaking up for the first time. "That's the best way to ensure that you will be noticed, and I thought you wanted to truly see what our colony is like."

"If you truly want to see for yourself, have your guards wait here." Sheridan agreed. "They are far more likely to attract attention, and if you truly want to see what Proxima 3 is like, just blend in."

"I will have to consider that at a later time. I do not feel safe just yet."

"As you wish; lead on!" They walked through the major city on Proxima 3. There were a lot of people, but it was not as crowded as a major Earth city would be. Despite the state of the planet, only 5 percent of humans lived on the colonies.

Kindre saw a few people on the street moving their hands around. "Those would be what I like to call scam artists." Sheridan explained. "You give them money and make a guess on whatever game they have. However, they are often rigged and even if you guess correctly, they sometimes refuse to pay."

"Then they should be locked up, or is it not a crime on your planet." Kindre asked.

"It is, but such things are difficult to prove." Sheridan informed. "We believe someone is innocent until proven guilty, or else we face the possibility of throwing someone who has done nothing wrong behind bars."

"Throwing?" Kindre asked. "That seems a rather cruel practice."

"It's a figure of speech; it means putting them behind bars."

"I see." although she was not at all sure she did. These humans were strange and judging from some of the stares she was getting hostile.

"Captain, we seem to be attracting quite a bit of attention." Smith pointed out, which seemed to be a considerable understatement. Many people going about their business had stopped to see the new arrivals. Short as they may have been, the guards were given more than a few nervous stares.

"I know; pretend they don't exist." Sheridan responded. _Although this is exactly what I was afraid; does the Earth Alliance have that bad of a reputation?_

They continued the tour, along with a question and answer session. It was somewhat slow, since she did not speak their language nearly as fluently as a native speaker would. The group got many curious looks, but no one approached them, although Sheridan could have sworn several women were glaring death at the Kirani delegation. He shrugged it off as they continued.

The tour took a couple of hours, by which time they decided to return. Kindre seemed to be quite interested in humans, something that did not go unnoticed by Sheridan. _Perhaps this will work out for us. _Sheridan thought to himself. _At least it's going better than the last time we attempted contact with another race. _

"Well, I see your city seems quite prosperous; is it like this all over the Earth Alliance?" Kindre asked. Although she wasn't going to point it out, she had caught the humans in a lie. Some of the giant constructions near the outskirts of the city were not buildings, but ground-based weaponry.

"Mainly on our major colonies, such as this one." Sheridan explained. "There are several major cities here, along with many smaller towns. Slowly but surely, we are terraforming the planet."

"And Earth?" she asked. The League had warned her not to mention the Minbari to humans, as tensions were still running high. She found it odd, since the League members rarely agreed about anything.

"Well, it's not in great shape, I'm afraid." Smith informed, resisting the urge to go on a tirade about the Minbari. "Many cities are still in ruins and the dust in the atmosphere will not settle for some time."

"I have an unofficial request for you, Ambassdor." Kindre told him through her interpreter. He nodded and asked her to continue. "I am interested in your civilization's history. What can you tell me about it?"

"Would you be willing to tell me some of your history?" Smith asked. "For one thing, how did your planet unite under a single government?"

"After the second Great War, the victorious alliance united the planet. It was difficult, but after around 30 of our years, which I believe is roughly 25 of yours, it was mostly a single government. They managed to hold it together and in time, we reached the stars."

"Well, something similar happened to us, except we fought three world wars, instead of two." Sheridan replied.

"I have heard your people have a vicious history, from what I have managed to learn about your people. It is second only to the Dilgar in terms of violence."

"We have made many mistakes in our past, yes." Sheridan admitted. "Nonetheless, we survived it and became what we are now." From what he did know of history, their past discouraged any alien races from attempting an invasion of Earth and its colonies, even though the Centauri would have had little difficulty in enslaving them at the time. The effect was unintentional, but effective nevertheless.

"What of you?" Smith asked. "I believe your civilization was one of the few who managed to repel the Dilgar invasion."

"It was costly, but we did repel them." Kindre stated. "While we do not launch wars of aggression, we keep a strong fleet in case another sees us as an easy conquest."

"Sensible; the galaxy is full of danger." Sheridan replied. "I do have something that my government would like to know: why send such a large fleet to our colony? That could be considered a threat."

"It is our policy to be cautious when meeting a new race." Kindre told the humans, although that wasn't quite true. There were disturbing rumors about what the humans were becoming after the Earth-Minbari war. They had felt sympathy for the humans, as did nearly every other race, but after the war, they had changed. Her government did not want the Earth Alliance to decide that Kiran was a good prospect for invasion. "How did your third world war begin?"

"It began as a local conflict between Greece and Turkey, two nation-states in 2079. The two had fought many wars, in some form, for around 3,000 Earth Years. Negotiation and treaties failed, and eventually other nations were pulled into the conflict. Others decided to fight their own wars, making things even more difficult. After nearly 5 years, many cities destroyed and nearly 300 million humans dead, the war ended in late 2084 and the Earth Alliance was formed the next year."

"How did you manage to maintain that?" The three of them had almost forgotten what they were originally there to discuss.

"It was not easy and for decades, the conquered nations were treated as subjects, although the alliance did assist in reconstruction. They worked together to form bases on our moon, Mars, and sent manned missions throughout the solar system. In 2150, terrorists used a nuclear weapon to blow up a major city. The opposition was defeated in a couple of months. It was not like the last conflict, where victory was in the balance."

"And during the Third World War, the Balkan states nearly exterminated one another." Smith added. "That was the source of the most brutal, vicious fighting of the war. By the time it ended, nearly 40 percent of them were dead. Thankfully, they seem to have learned to get along since then. How about yours?"

"Both of our global conflicts were caused by militarism and the glorification of war." Kindre explained. "Alliances were formed so that no one would dare attack them. It helped little and when a minor incident occurred, it set off wars that killed millions. Neither one was a decisive victory, although the Hara powers did make gains.

"Both sides developed explosive-metal bombs at around the same time. Dozens of cities were destroyed, and millions were killed. After the second conflict came to an end, both sides eventually decided to live in peace, although they never got along well, but the alternative was destruction."

"How far apart between your conflicts?" Smith asked.

"Around 40 of your years. The second conflict was about 400 of your years ago, and we were at the level of technology you achieved during your late 20th century, although you discovered nuclear power."

"During our second conflict, it ended by dropping two primitive nuclear weapons on major industrial cities." Sheridan explained. "Ever since then, historians have been arguing as to whether or not it was necessary." They continued their discussion for some time, before Kindre decided to end it for the day.

"Would you be willing to explore the city again without your entourage tomorrow?" Smith asked.

"Yes, I believe I will, although you two will accompany me as well." Kindre responded. "I believe you are trustworthy, captain, so I will make a request. Can my people go to your colony while I am present? I believe they need some-what do you humans call it- R and R."

"How many are on your ships?" Sheridan asked.

"Altogether, around 10,000; will they be able to come to your colony? Many are quite eager to do so."

"I will have to clear that with the local governor, but I will see what I can do." Sheridan intended to push her into it, not least of which because he wanted to know why the Kirani seemed to be well-liked on Proxima 3. Kindre and her interpreter left the room, bowing their head slightly in acknowledgement.

The next day, Kindre was much more relaxed. However, there was already talk about the ambassador, but since she was not traveling with an entourage, she was noticed much less often. Sheridan even offered to give her human clothing that would fit, which she ultimately decided to accept. Unless someone looked closely, she was able to pass for human. Sheridan himself attracted some attention, but the residents of New San Diego were used to Earthforce and army personnel, so they were mostly just part of the landscape.

Ultimately, the governor of Proxima 3 decided to grant his permission for them to land, although he warned that any Kirani found breaking the law would be punished accordingly. Sheridan knew they were out there, but did not spot any of them. He kept his hand near his PPG; some of the areas were dangerous, although few would be foolish officer to go after an officer.

She was interested in a building full of flashing light and decided to go in. Sheridan and Smith were less than enthused, but it was their responsibility to look after her. He explained that it was a Casino, where humans came to give their money away and hopefully win. "We have such places on Kiran, but not nearly to the extent you humans do." she explained. "They are strictly controlled by our government; we do not wish any of them to get too powerful."

"For us, it has varied over the centuries." Sheridan informed as they looked around. The appearance, though, had changed little, except most games were now done automatically. "Around here, they give plenty to humanitarian causes, which keeps people happy, but they are immensely profitable. They have considerable influence." He had to speak up because of the noise, which was grating on him.

"Yeah, I remember these places." Smith told them. "Used to go to them once in a while; it wasn't bad."

He saw a few Centauri, humans, and Drazi around a poker table. Some of them laughed, while others threw down their cards in frustration. "Is it really a good idea to have different races in the same place?" Kindre wondered. "Centauri and Drazi hold little love for one another."

"As long as they are old enough, have money, and don't cause too many problems, they're happy to have them here." Smith smirked. "They'll take business wherever they can get it."

"You allow aliens onto your colonies?" Kindre was curious. "What of your fears of… spying, I believe it is called."

"Few come to Earth anymore, but plenty of them visit the colonies, especially Proxima, Durani, and the Orion sector." Sheridan replied. It was annoying having to do half of this through an interpreter, but doable. "The only ones who are not allowed are the Minbari, for obvious reasons. Do you not allow anyone else?"

"We allow ones we are friendly with to visit, but there are some we have had trouble with in the past, and believe they will cause trouble." Kindre replied. "The Drazi are one such race. We have had several skirmishes with them in recent years."

"How long has that been going on?" Sheridan wondered, shoving that information in the back of his head for future use.

"Since soon after we developed interstellar travel, during what was for you the mid 21st century. We improved our technology and expanded into the stars. It is not a good idea to be caught unprepared."

"No, it isn't, and luck favors the prepared." Smith informed. She remembered Earth was in a similar situation when they made first contact with the Centauri. Although they had no interest then in conquering Earth, they could change their mind at a later date. They built on the few technologies that the Centauri were willing to sell them, such as jump gate technology and primitive terraforming.

The Earth Alliance expanded quickly, built a fleet, constantly upgraded it when new technologies were discovered, and went out into the stars. Most of the other races decided to leave them alone, except for a couple of minor powers that took bites out of their territory at the beginning of the 23rd century. The star furies were used to good effect taking back their colonies. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't see the commotion.

Sheridan grabbed a young man by the collar and pulled him back. "You're going to apologize to her immediately." he ordered. "Otherwise, I'm sure this Casino can find new customers." He was around 25, strong build, and didn't look in the least remorseful.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He raised his hands in surrender. "Care to go to my place later?" A growl from Sheridan told him that it was time to get out of here.

"Sorry about that; I cannot stand useless people, particularly ones like him." Sheridan shook his head.

"Quite all right, captain." Kindre shrugged it off. "In my civilization, males generally do not do such things and those who do are looked down on, especially when they are young."

Neither of the humans were having fun in this place, especially since they didn't want to give a bad impression of their civilization. The Kirani, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Neither of them won anything, especially since they did not seem to understand the games.

"Captain Sheridan!" He heard someone call his name. Warily, he turned around and saw two greeting him, one of whom was Londo Mollari. "How many years has it been? Let me introduce you to my old friend and ally, Urza Jaddo."

"On behalf on House Jaddo, I offer the hands of friendship." Urza told Sheridan in accented but understandable English. He extended both his arms.

"On behalf of my people, I accept." Sheridan replied, although he was mainly lukewarm to the Centauri as a result of the war. "What are you doing here, Ambassador?"

"No, I am no longer an Ambassador." Londo smiled, gulping down his drink. "I have a much more important position, and I am here to celebrate! House Mollari and House Jaddo have been allied since the earliest days of the republic. It is good to have some fun now and then, don't you agree, captain?"

"You mean, you have fun while I keep you out of trouble." Jaddo replied, making them both laugh.

"Well, I see you two are enjoying yourselves." Sheridan smiled slightly. "How much money have you lost so far, Londo? You never did have much luck."

"Ah, the point is to have fun." Londo smiled. "I must admit, I did not expect to see you of all people, Sheridan. Have you finally decided to loosen up?"

"Actually, I'm here on official business, as hard as that might be to believe. I'm escorting the Kirani delegation around the city and they decided to see this place."

"Yes, it is difficult to believe, but I suppose they are rather curious people. Ah, I could stay here indefinitely! Let me tell you, captain, if you ever need to- what do you call it- take your mind off things, this is the place to go! Gambling, alcohol, women, ha ha! Oh, what happened with your leg?"

"Just try not to get us kicked out of another casino, Londo." Urza Jaddo joked with his friend. He then turned to Sheridan. "Have you heard the rumors? They say that over 10,000 Kirani are landing on this planet."

"Have you heard what they say about them, captain?" Londo asked, laughing.

"I know we seem to get along well, but people are vague on the details when it comes to an explanation." Sheridan sighed. "I don't like mysteries. When it comes to my leg, I was wounded during the war and they couldn't repair everything."

"Don't worry; you'll find out soon enough!" Londo exclaimed. "A pleasure as always, Captain! Now, Urza, I've managed to get us front row seats to the show they have tonight." Sheridan tuned out the rest of his conversation.

He looked around for the Kirani delegation, but they had wandered off. Sheridan groaned and looked for them, leaning on his cane. _Where could they have gone? _He wondered. _It's not a good idea for them to wander off if they don't know this place. _He limped through the crowd, but from a distance, humans and Kirani looked very much alike.

There were hundreds of people inside and he couldn't see them anywhere. "Okay, don't panic." He told himself. "They've got to return sooner or later." He accidentally bumped into a Narn, who accepted his apology.

"Captain, I have been looking for you." Kindre approached him. "I apologize for exploring on my own, but I believe I have an answer to both our questions: why are we so popular on your colonies and why so many of my people wish to go here."

X X X X X X X X X X

"Please tell me this is a joke." Senator Cortez asks Sheridan once he had relayed the information.

"I only wish it was." Sheridan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Apparently among the Kirani, their roles are the opposite of ours."

"So their females essentially act like teenagers when it comes to hormones?" Cortez stated. "This sounds way too much like a fantasy novel to me. I've seen such things written, but it seems like wishful thinking."

"I have difficulty with it myself, senator, but it would explain some things. It would explain why the Kirani are popular on our colonies and at the same time, we are given only vague reasons for their popularity."

"Nonetheless, this is going to cause difficulties. How do you think the public will react when they learn of this? I believe we are going to have connections with the Kirani whether we really want them or not."

"I don't like this, captain. Did she give you any reasons for this?"

"In their culture, it is considered acceptable for their females to act that way, while the males are looked down on if they do so. It is almost a complete reversal of the way things were in the 20th century, even though it started to reverse towards the end of it." For humans, it seemed to change around every 15 years, roughly. New media campaigns, new concerns, the list went on. "Part of the reason could be because females are physically stronger."

"I admit, the reactions are probably going to range from fascination to horror. There are many implications and I do not believe we are going to see the extent of them for some time. It would be interesting to see the parallels to our own history."

"For our conversations, there seem to be quite a few of them, even if that is an oversimplification. What do you propose to do about it, though?"

"We'd better find something and fast. I do not wish to see our colonies transform into sex industries."

"I do not believe there is much we can do. It is our strongest instinct, surpassed only sometimes by survival. There is no reason to assume the Kirani are any different. I think we're going to experience a lot of growth on our colonies. Unless you propose shooting down any Kirani that arrives into our space, I do not see how we can stop this."

"Well, thank you for the information, commander. This is going to spark a major debate among people that has been going for 300 years with the same arguments being used."

"May you live in interesting times."

"I suppose this would qualify. Let me know if you discover anything else, Captain." The screen went blank.

X X X X X X X X X X

October 8, 2260

Minbari Federation

"I know I have heard this before, old friend, but I still have difficulty in believing this." Delenn informed.

"It is true; I was threatened with death for being against our war with the humans." Shal Mayan replied. When she learned what Delenn was trying to do, she was the first to offer her assistance. "I did not feel it right to go on such a crusade without at least attempting a peaceful settlement. I was told that unless I stayed silent, I would have a denn'sha challenge and there would be no way for me to survive that."

"Yes, that was a shameful time for all of us." Delenn agreed. She was never able to tell her friend that she had made the deciding vote. As for the threat her friend had received, even though Minbari did not kill one another, the denn'sha was not considered murder because it was what they considered honorable combat. "Now we have to try and build a better future, learn from the mistakes of the past."

"We attacked and slaughtered a race that could not defend themselves; they were little more than children, far younger than we are. Apart from the First Ones, we are the strongest in the known galaxy."

"With that power comes a terrible price and a terrible responsibility. Any mistakes we make would be far worse than if another did so. Even now, we refuse to take responsibility for it. Our people are not taught the truth and it is denied everywhere on Minbar!" She remembered meeting with Jha'dur, who told her: "You take blind comfort in the belief that we are monsters, that you could never do what we did. Yet you are wiping out ships with no chance of defending themselves, even ones attempting to surrender. You destroy escape pods, and your goal is the destruction of the human race. Beneath your supposed benevolence is little more than savagery."

"I admit, I have been disappointed by the Grey Council. Our isolationism is a foolish task; we cannot simply ignore the galaxy and what is happening."

"No, we cannot, especially with the Shadows on the move again. They are awakening, gathering its forces slowly. Alone we have no hope of withstanding them. The Vorlons will side with us, but who else will? Our names are cursed throughout the galaxy."

"We have a noble goal, but I am not sure what we can do. If we had helped them rebuild, given them some of our terraforming technology to help repair the damage, perhaps that could have done some to mend the wounds."

"I had made that suggestion, but was overruled. Most of the council decided that the more humans that die, the better. They believed their civilization was over, that humanity would destroy itself. Look how wrong we were."

"Will anyone help us?"

"The Vorlons will, despite their unhappiness about recent events. Already we have fused our technologies together in order to create a new ship: the White Star." Delenn knew that was information the council would rather keep to themselves, but Mayan was her trusted friend.

"Have they started making an alliance to fight the Shadows?"

"We have tried, but few have been receptive to banding together with us. The League wants nothing to do with us, and I cannot blame them; look at what we had done to the Abbai. The most peaceful of all of us, and we killed millions for the crime of wanting to help their fellow sentients. No, they will not help us."

"There are others out there, more distant races. We cannot have been abandoned by everyone."

"The Centauri might be willing, but they would extract a great price from us. Their new government is in favor of expansion and tensions are rising in that region. This is similar to how it occurred before, only there are far more races than there were 1,000 years ago. At that time, we were the last to develop hyperspace travel."

"Yet we survived with our society intact, thanks to Valen."

"Yes, the others were destroyed or reduced to a primitive state. Valen united us, ended the fighting between the castes. We have forgotten his lessons. He told us to be wise and prudent when using the power we were given by the Vorlons." Towards the end of the Shadow War, when things were looking bleak, the Vorlons offered them gifts: less refined versions of what was now their war cruisers.

"Despite him being our greatest leader, we know little of Valen. Perhaps he knew this was going to happen and tried to warn us against it."

"One of his writings said that our people would come to a crossroads. There would be two decisions: one easy and one very difficult. The wrong decision would twist and darken a piece of our soul. Bramner told me this shortly before he died."

"What happened to him? The official story suggests that the humans were in some way responsible for his death."

"They were, but they had nothing to do with it."

"I do not understand."

"We were given data crystals after I had given my apology to the humans, but were not told what they held. Bramner and myself watched them and what we saw… killed him."

"What did he see?"

"Don't ask me that!" Mayan was startled and took a step back. "I am sorry, old friend, but the images I saw haunt my nightmares and I will not have you endure it the way I now do." _The way I deserve to. _She thought, looking down at her hands. There was so much blood on them, far more than could ever be erased. One of those people was her own father. He was already soul sick because of the war. He was informed by another-she did not know who-that she was the deciding vote and whose orders turned it into a war of genocide. Once he learned of this, he committed suicide, something Delenn still blamed herself for.

"I always felt that there was more than what they told us, that not all of it was propaganda."

"It is far worse than you can imagine. I have attempted every ritual that I believed would help even in the slightest way and nothing has helped. You still have some innocence and I cannot bring myself to destroy it."

"As you wish, Delenn. I will not force you to do anything you are uneasy with."

"I was hoping for us to meet and talk about the positive things that have gone on in our lives, but instead I am talking about this."

"No apologies are necessary; you are a troubled soul and I will help you to the best of my ability."

"And I am grateful for your support. Perhaps this seems a fool's quest, but I must try. My apology has done some good, but we need to do more. The Grey Council has refused; they do not believe them. They do not want to. Far easier to believe your enemy is lying than to know that you have made terrible mistakes."

Before Mayan could reply the door open. Neroon walked inside, a fighting pike in his hand, his face expressionless. Delenn placed herself in front of Mayan, not about to let him attack her. "So where is the warm welcome I expected from you, Delenn?" Neroon asked, putting away the fighting pike.

"What do you want, Neroon?" Delenn asked. "I know of the Warrior Caste's plans and what they think of me, so forgive me if I do not show the usual hospitality."

"Your plans are not as secret as you believe." Neroon informed them. "They know what you intend to do and they will stop you. I believe they are willing to break our greatest law to do so."

"And you have come to do just that?" Mayan asked.

"No, I have come to assist you." Neroon replied. "This secret has been hanging over us for far too long. While I believe it would be unwise to give the specifics, the truth must be told. There is no reason to save face when what we have done is well-known and we appear even worse for refusing to acknowledge it."

"Why now, Neroon?" Delenn wondered. "When the war ended, you demanded that we finish it, either by extermination or by forcing unconditional surrender out of them. When the humans began receiving aid from other worlds, you demanded that we put a stop to it."

"I have had little to do and when there is little to preoccupy your time, you begin to think." Neroon explained. "I was forced to see myself and what I saw was unpleasant. I saw a monster, someone who delighted in killing countless innocents. It was… not a pleasant thought, but not one I could escape from, either. It is why I am here: to try and obtain redemption for myself.

"There is one thing you do not realize, Delenn. Our people and humanity will never get along with one another. I have talked with many in the Star Riders clan. Those who committed the atrocities you speak out against hold little remorse. Ones that were not involved knew about it and did little to stop it. Still more are willfully blind and prefer to remain that way. Another thing: the humans were just as vicious to us. Warriors who were captured suffered greatly and few of those who lived were ever whole again. No, there is far too much blood, pain, and suffering between our two peoples to ever cooperate."

"Then why are you doing this?" Mayan asked.

"There is nothing to be gained from hiding the truth any longer." Neroon admitted. "This revelation will startle many and cause considerable disruption, but the longer this is hidden, the worse it will be when it is finally discovered. Such things get out, one way or another."

"So we find ourselves sharing a common goal." Delenn stated. "I am, I admit, still unsure of your sincerity, but for the moment, I will work with you."

"That is your decision, and I cannot hold it against you for your skepticism. However, you need to let go of your idealism, Delenn. You believe everything can be fixed, can be healed. Trying to get us to ever want more than the other in ruins is nothing but futility."

"I must try, Neroon, for all our sakes. We must come together to fight the Shadows."

"Impossible! Have you considered that the humans may be interested in gaining a new ally and will not think very hard about who that is? Have you considered that the Shadows may be interested in them as well?"

Delenn did not consider that. "All the more reason to reach out to them before they do!'

"Who will they listen to? A civilization who murdered around a fourth of their population or a force that can offer them at chance of greatness and vengeance?" Delenn bowed her head, knowing how difficult her task was going to be.

X X X X X X X X X X

If you're wondering why I did this with the Kirani, it will be explained in time, in addition to the obvious humor aspect of it. There are science fiction novels where aliens come here to breed with us and that's kind of what I am making fun of. This is mainly going to be a dark, gritty story, but I wanted to add a small amount of humor as well.

How do you think we would react if something like this happened? I doubt there would be much we could do about it, whatever it was. I'm hoping it's going to be amusing and serious at the same time. It was originally going to be a story on its own, but I eventually realized it wouldn't work and decided to add it onto this one.

I have another idea for a Babylon 5 story, although I'm not sure I'm going to write it on not. It's called "Earth Empire" and the plot can be guessed at least somewhat from the title. If anyone's interested, I'll give the basic plot in the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

Mad Eye Harry: What you must understand is that Delenn is an idealist. She believes things can be healed, be fixed, that hatred between humans and Minbari can disappear over time. She doesn't see the potential the Shadows might see in us because she doesn't want to.

Neroon was a complex character, and I'm hoping to show that in this story.

Nyt Yanse: The Kirani will have significance in the story, although I don't intend to reveal what that is for a while. It seems like a dream come true for young men, right? Well, it'll be revealed soon that it may not be as wonderful as they think.

Okay, since people seem to be interested in "Earth Empire", I will give the basic summary. It is where the first contact with the Centauri takes place soon after the third world war. They take advantage of our devastation and enslave humanity, forcing them into submission. However, they find it is a lot tougher to hold us down than the Narns, due to our bloody history.

They are even more vicious with us, and there is even talk about exterminating us as a species. In 2130, they decide it's not worth keeping us as an occupied territory and they leave, bombing our planet in a last act of spite. We are left to rebuild a devastated and dying planet, with slightly more than half our previous population. We steal Centauri weapons and technology, and learn how to reverse engineer it.

We expand into the solar system, begin to terraform Mars and Io, and start expanding into the stars. Unfortunately, we do not have too much room to expand, and we find further expansion impossible due to a more advanced alien race: the Markab. We hold only Proxima 3 and Beta Durani, so we're a lot smaller than in canon. However, with the technology the Centauri left behind, in around 80 years we terraform those planets to the point where they are similar to Earth. Well before then, many humans are traveling and starting lives elsewhere because of Earth's devastation.

By the beginning of the 23rd century, we have built a massive fleet and are in a permanent war economy. However, we do not have the resources to defeat the Centauri, so our people decide to try something else: the invasion of the League.

Essentially, it's the Dilgar War in reverse. The Dilgar are not the vicious monsters they were in B5, but since they are evacuating their population from their dying star, they are in little position to do anything. Note: Earthforce is going to be more or less the level of technology they have in canon, though there will be a couple differences that I will reveal if I decide to write the story.

Another idea is crossing over the original Star Trek and Babylon 5. The Enterprise flies out of a rip and ends up in our solar system, where they learn about the Earth Alliance being attacked by an advanced alien race. It's a fierce debate over whether or not to provide military assistance to the Earth Alliance or simply decide that this is not their universe and not their concern.

One thing I should point out is that I intend to keep the level of technology at a more or less even keel. It's a common failing I've noticed in such crossovers where one universe's technology far outstrips the other. I intend to avoid it, so it makes the story more interesting. I have a rough outline for the novel and where it goes.

On a personal note, I am officially 21 years old.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

October 10, 2260

Asteroid Belt

A shuttle was flying to a secret location with two high ranking officers aboard: Lieutenant General Richard Franklin and Admiral Robert Leftcourt. Even they did not know what they were coming for, and they knew better than to ask.

The shuttle was on autopilot and was guided to its target, easily avoiding the asteroids. They were spread far apart, generally, so they was little concern. After what seemed like a great deal at the time, it stopped near a ship. However, it was like no ship either of them had seen. It was close to a mile across and over 1,000 feet tall. It was covered in black, but it didn't seem to be like paint.

Just from the look of it, it was more advanced than what either of them had seen and certainly more so than any ships Earthforce currently had in its arsenal. The shuttle flew into the launch bay, which was completely empty except for some crates. The door opened and both walked out, wondering what was going on.

Someone walked towards them, with 2 soldiers holding PPG rifles in their hands. Franklin and Leftcourt saluted, and were saluted back. "At ease, gentleman." The man smiled. He was in his 50's with most of his hair grey. "I imagine you're wondering why you've been called here and what this ship is. I am Admiral Fredrick Bauer and this is the first of the Warlock Class Destroyers."

"This is one of our ships?" Franklin asked. "This is quite impressive, but I did not know we had any such designs."

"It was a top secret operation, which meant that construction was delayed." Bauer replied. "Despite the problems we had, you are now looking at the most advanced ship in the galaxy. It outmatches anything we have ever seen, even the legendary and feared Minbari Sharlins."

"What kind of weapons does it have?" Leftcourt asked.

"There are two main particle guns on the bow of the ship." Bauer explained. "We have already tested them on unusable asteroids and they have proven to be quite effective. In addition, on the front of the ship we have three rail gun turrets for long and short range firepower."

"I notice this ship has artificial gravity." Franklin pointed out. "That would give us more maneuverability on the battlefield."

"Yes, we have finally managed to pull it off, basing it on Centauri and Minbari technology." Bauer replied. "We have eight plasma cannons, two on both the port and starboard sides, in addition to four of them on the top of the ship. They can fire in any direction."

"How about anti-fighter defenses?" Leftcourt wondered.

"No fighter would be able to damage the ship, but nonetheless, we have dozens of small turrets scattered throughout the hull." Bauer informed. "Missile silos on all sides, interceptors at both long and short range. We also have a launch bay capable of carrying up to 40 fighters, meaning it can double as an aircraft carrier."

"What other defenses does it have, in addition to the weaponry?" Leftcourt wondered. "Have we managed to create an improved stealth system?"

"Yes, we have, and few ships will be able to lock on. Again, technology taken from the Minbari and reverse engineered. While they are not the only race with a stealth system, the Minbari's is by far the most advanced. From a distance, even the best of the Centauri ships will not be able to lock on. The Minbari… that we do not know.

"Our sensors, on the other hand, can break any stealth system, even one of war cruisers. True, it is still difficult at long range, but if you get within a few thousand kilometers, we can lock onto their ships with little difficulty."

"I hope we have made improvements on the jump engines." Franklin pointed out. "I wouldn't want to lose such a valuable ship."

"Of course we have; the new engines can jump back into hyperspace immediately after jumping out should such an action be necessary." Bauer smiled. "It can also resist any efforts to take it out of commission through powerful scans. We do not wish a repeat of the Prometheus incident."

"How heavy would this ship be?" Leftcourt wondered.

"Approximately 20 million tons of assorted metals, in addition to several layers of ceramic and a new protection we have only recently discovered." Bauer explained. "It is based on organic technology, newly discovered but with extraordinary potential. We made a test with an Omega destroyer, firing its main weapons at half power. They caused only minor damage to the ship, and best of all, it is self-repairing. We have an outer hull of organic armor for added protection. Gentlemen, we have done something few races have ever achieved."

"Could we build a new ship completely based on organic technology?" Franklin asked.

"Not at the present time and probably not for decades, if not centuries." Bauer shook his head. "The organic armor is strong, but it can be broken through by persistent firepower. In the future, we hope to make it stronger and more resilient, in addition to finding other uses for this technology."

"Can it carry troops to the battlefield?" Franklin wondered. "I hope this is able to do so, because transports are dangerous to use and susceptible to raids."

"The ship can carry up to 10,000 troops in comfortable conditions, it's capacity being close to 20,000 if it is necessary. Once we introduce this ship, it will require a crew of approximately 700. It serves as a battleship, carrier, and transport."

"Are any more under construction?" Leftcourt asked. "Impressive as this ship is, there is only one."

"The second one will be completed in approximately three weeks." Bauer told them. "After that, we believe it will take around a month for each one to be built. Hopefully, we will assemble an entire fleet of them by this time next year. Each one of these ships cost over 200 billion credits to build, but as the technology becomes more understood, we hope to bring the cost down somewhat." That was over three times what it cost to build an Omega, which was about 55 billion credits.

"Imagine what we could do with an entire fleet of these ships." Franklin chuckled. "We will not have to fear attack from anyone once we have accomplished this." He had noticed that humans developed faster than almost any other race; only the Dilgar moved at a similar speed and they were long since defeated and destroyed. To him, this was obvious proof of human superiority.

"Do you plan on giving this ship a name?" Leftcourt wondered. Last year, the Gross Interstellar Product was close to 260 trillion credits, stronger than any known economy except for the Centauri. Out of those credits, about 70 trillion went to Earthforce and other branches of the military. It was used in building new ships, developing new technology, paying the millions of soldiers and earth force personnel, for weapons on the ground and in the air, and so on. He knew 200 billion didn't seem like much in comparison, but the money went in so many different directions.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we do." Bauer told the duo. "After our final test, we intend to name it the EAS Starkiller." At their confused looks, he added: "That is what the Minbari call Sheridan because of the destruction of their flagship."

"I'd love to see the looks on their faces when they hear of this." Franklin chuckled. "Still, from the inside, this doesn't look much different than an Omega."

"All we did was refine the design and keep what worked well for us." Bauer admitted. "It's the outside that looks different, but we are not going to reveal this until our final test is made."

"Are you going hunting after another Minbari ship?" Leftcourt asked. "I believe that would be a very unwise idea. Ivanova barely got away with that and we're lucky we're not at war this very moment! I have no doubts they suspect us, but if they had any proof at all, they would have our heads. While you may feel differently, I still do not think we can stand up to the Minbari in open combat, at least not at the moment. This is only a single ship and as you said, the next one is a month away."

"We are going hunting, yes, but not for a Minbari cruiser." Bauer reassured. Despite Ivanova's actions being illegal in the extreme, many in Earthforce applauded her for such an action, either openly or quietly. If she failed, she would have been thrown behind bars for the reminder of her life, but success rewarded her with notoriety. "There are others we intend to test this ship against. Do not ask where we are going to go; this is a top-secret mission."

"Of course not, but I wish you the best of luck." Leftcourt replied. "I have a suggestion." Bauer nodded and told him to continue. "When we have a fleet on these ships, I recommend we put it under the command of Captain Sheridan. He was my star pupil and was vital to Earth's defense during the war. He has more than earned his place here."

"I would recommend him as well." Franklin added. "He fought well on the ground and I believe it would give a morale boost to our fleet."

"What other designs do we have?" Leftcourt replied.

"Apart from the Omega design, we're bringing new Frigates into circulation." Bauer pointed out. "We built the first Hydra-class Frigate in 2257, and now we're building them at about 3 per week and we're hoping to get it to 4 soon. We've managed to build approximately 320 so far, now that we have the design down; production should be faster now that we have. We could build even more, but our Gross Interstellar Product is still only about 60 percent of where it was before the war."

"It's amazing we've built it up as much as we have." Franklin pointed out. "Even with what happened, I believe our economy is still second to only the Centauri. We've above any of the League worlds, which will hopefully dissuade them from attack."

"The Minbari economy was only 1/7th of ours; it didn't do us a lot of good." Leftcourt reminded his fellow officer. "Their economic demands didn't hurt us as much as they hoped, thankfully."

"In any case, the Hydras are hopefully a replacement for the Corvettes, though they will still be in service for the indefinite future." Bauer interrupted them.

"What kind of weapons do they have?" Leftcourt asked.

"One pulse cannon similar to what is found on the Omega, 2 smaller pulse cannons on each side of the ship, and numerous anti-fighter weapons. 710 meters long, 90 meters in height, and jump capable, unlike all other Frigates we have had."

"How did we manage to make a ship that size capable of jumping into hyperspace?" Franklin wondered. "I wasn't aware we had that kind of technology."

"We've based it on the Tianshi Frigates the Minbari have, using some of their technology. However, even with the newest models, gravity is only 40 percent Earth normal. Still, it is less strain for the crews, which means that they can stay on the field longer. We're upgrading the older versions with gravity plating."

"And I assume their job will be to provide fighter escort for the Omegas?" Leftcourt asked.

"In part, but they are also faster and more maneuverable, so the second part of their job will be striking at the enemy's flanks." Bauer stated. Earthforce tended to rely on strength and power rather than speed, so ships like the Hydra were unusual for the Earth Alliance. "We hope it will keep them off balance, since they hold much less armor than the Omegas, though we have managed to upgrade our electronic countermeasures. How effective these will be in battle… impossible to say for certain. These two classes will be our main ships, in addition to the several carriers we have built." The Carriers were the most heavily armed of the ships, since they were considered essential, even though the Omega doubled as an aircraft carrier.

So far, there were 8 Nelson-Class carriers, with over a dozen smaller ones. The plasma cannons had a lower range than the Omegas, but in close encounters, the roughly 55 guns would be enough to quickly wipe out even a Minbari cruiser, not to mention the smaller weapons meant to shoot down fighters or missiles. However, two or three would be enough to destroy it, and even one would be sufficient to destroy the launch bays and since it currently took over a month to construct, its primary purpose was to bring fighters into the battle. Even one was capable of holding over 400 fighters.

"I would agree with Franklin: I believe Sheridan should be given the first Warlock." Leftcourt reminded him.

"I will take your recommendations under consideration." Bauer promised. They continued their tour of the ship, with Bauer explaining its properties. Franklin remembered the years after the Dilgar War. The Earth Alliance was full of optimism and confident about the future. As a result, the defense budget was cut by more than half.

He had argued against it, even though he was only a Colonel at the time, but was overruled. Most believed they could defend themselves against anything and new designs were put on the shelf. True, their current ships were upgraded, but no new designs were made and plans for the Omega set back by over a decade. When the Minbari struck and it was made clear that Earth would lose, that the League had abandoned them, they rushed the design into production, but none were made in time.

They cut the military budget once; it was a giant mistake, one they did not intend to make again. They now had several hundred Omegas, around 350 Hydras, and countless fighters.

X X X X X X X X X X

October 10, 2260

Proxima Colony

Sheridan dimly heard a voice in the distance. He couldn't make out what it was saying, though. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Smith looking over him with concern on her face. "Are you all right, Captain?" Smith asked. "You were having a nightmare."

"I'm sorry if I woke you, Commander." Sheridan groaned, slowly getting up, rubbing his eyes. The details of the nightmare came back; like most of them, it was about the war. "Do you remember the first battle over Beta Durani?"

"I know it was the only one we repelled the Minbari advance, at least at first." Smith replied. "Our fleet was nearly gone, much of what we did have out there striking their convoys."

"We managed to stop them by a suicide strike. A fleet of Corvettes and fighters rammed into the Minbari cruisers. Half a dozen of them were destroyed, with close to twenty being damaged. They were forced to retreat, and it bought us another month to strengthen our defenses. However, we lost thousands of people in the process.

"I'm the one who gave the order. I knew simply relying on our planetary defenses would prove useless and the war had been going on for 16 months by then. We were running out of time and I did what I felt was necessary to defend the colony. The crews knew what was being asked of them and were prepared to make the sacrifice, go down in a last act of defiance.

"I may not have had much of a choice, but those faces are still in my memories. They were young, eager, and brave."

"Captain, you've told me that difficult decisions have to be made in war. It bought us time to secure our colony, forcing the Minbari to fight even harder for it. The colony held for close to 4 months, and it gave us time to do the same for Proxima."

"Yes, the Minbari were slow and methodical. If they did not feel that a colony was secure, they would not leave. Their tactics were a joke, but with their technology, it didn't matter."

"I have studied what they did during the war. On equal terms, even first year cadets would have little difficulty fighting them."

"Well, things were far from equal. They had technology decades beyond our own. Most races didn't give us 6 months; we lasted for 3 years and survived them." _And one day, we will make them answer for everything._

"Very true, but many of us didn't. I lost both of my parents when they started hitting us with asteroids."

"We'll rebuild everything and we'll make sure nothing like this happens again. My sister and her family were on one of the refugee transports the Minbari destroyed." This was a story almost every surviving human shared. Not many got through the war without losing a loved one or someone close to them. "Now, Commander, if you would please get the hell out of my room so I can change." She nodded and left, while Sheridan changed from his PJ's to his uniform.

He walked out of the building, Smith by his side, and looked around at the city. Even with all the Kirani there, it looked about the same. Still, he had heard a few reports of violence breaking out over it. _I suppose it's not surprising. With what we've learned about them and the news getting out everywhere, tensions were unavoidable._

Kindre walked towards him, her interpreter at her left. "Captain, I am here to make an official protest." She declared. "Over a dozen of our people have been savagely attacked for no reason and your authorities are doing nothing!"

"What have they said?" Sheridan asked. _Great, this is just what I needed to start the day._

"I have been informed that when the attackers were investigated, they were let go." Kindre glared. "They did not even attempt to deny that they did so; they seemed proud of what they had done, and your authorities are letting them free!"

"Okay, I'll see what I can find out." Sheridan groaned. He knew there were some people who had little love for aliens, but he thought that Proxima 3 had done a better job of weeding them out. Apparently, that was not the case. "They better have a damned good explanation for this."

"Yes, and we are coming along with you. I cannot take the chance that you are one who will let attacks go unpunished because we are not of your kind."

X X X X X X X X X X

Michael Garibaldi relaxed as he gulped down a hamburger, opposite Lianna Kemmer, who worked for a private security company on Proxima 3. Far as he could see, they did a decent job and were not involved in any shady dealings. She was moving up quickly and while he offered to use some of his connections, she declined. "At this rate, you'll be the chief of security in less than 5 years." He complimented.

"It's definitely something I'm hoping for and it's not a bad job." Lianna replied. "This place is decent enough, and I help keep the crime rate going. Until now, I never thought a major company actually gave a damn about others."

"Some of them do and some of them don't; that's been the case for centuries." Garibaldi smiled. He had to admit, he enjoyed his time with Lianna. She was an adult, but she'd always be like a daughter to him. After the war, she was the one who kept him together and helped him break his alcohol addiction. "So what kind of things do you do normally?"

"We're hired mainly to protect their property." Kemmer explained. "They have plenty of electronic devices as well, but those can be bypassed if you're good enough. Most of the time, frankly, it's boring. I have to fill out the usual paperwork, keep them up to date on things, let them know if I intend to take a vacation. I took a week off when I learned you were visiting."

"I'm touched; it's good to see you. It's been a long time since I was able to take a vacation."

"How are things on Earth?"

"I think it can best be described as a mess. The planet's been devastated, which is why more and more people are moving to the colonies. Terraforming has improved, but it can't keep up with the demand for new homes. Still, I suppose I can't blame them, especially since I spend most of my days there."

"They made any progress repairing the damage? I know there are plans in motion to do so."

"Yeah, but it's moving slowly. We're having a very difficult time growing crops naturally, so we've had to resort to hydroponics. I think you know all this, but I'll say it anyway. Even with all the hydroponics, it's difficult growing enough to eat, especially since the environment has taken such damage. Remember the fears of climate change in the 21st century?" Kemmer nodded and she went on. "It's nothing compared to all this."

"You're right; I do know most of this. Beta Durani is one of the fastest growing colonies, since its atmosphere is close to what it is on Earth, except for a slightly lower oxygen content. It would be equivalent to 6,000 feet above sea level. There has to be over 75 million by now and growing fast."

"Mars has grown massively as well; there are close to 45 million people living there now. It's not one of the better places to live, especially considering how crowded it is, but it's close by and people think it's better then Earth."

"And the Sheffer system has grown several times since the war. It's a over 100 light years away, not one of the inner colonies, but it seems worth it. One of the habitable colonies is about 10 million by now."

"I believe that is accurate, yes. When was the last time you went to Earth?"

"I was there about six years ago, just to see what had happened. It's not pretty, is it?"

"Nope, although the Narns who live there say it's in better condition than their world. If that's true, they have my sympathy."

"I've talked with a few of them here and I've seen pictures of their world. It looks quite similar to Mars."

"Well, if I could, I'd probably move here. Fare to Proxima or similar nearby colonies are cheaper than the more distant ones. Io's probably not going to grow very much and Mars has just about reached its capacity for the next few years. There's talk about imposing Martial Law on Earth."

"Things are really getting that bad?"

"It's still not much compared to what it was right after the war. All the same, I hope it doesn't become necessary." Garibaldi remembered what kind of state Earth was in after the peace terms had been finalized. If any aid was allowed in, perhaps things would have been different, but the Minbari shot down any League ships that attempted to render humanitarian aid. Some parts of earth were more devastated than others and the more rural areas recovered a lot faster than the ruined cities.

"Yeah, we don't hear as much over there before as we once did. From what I have heard, though, things are pretty bad. You really think they're going to impose martial law? What do you think about it?"

"I worry about the implication, but damn it, we need some source of order. You were lucky enough not to live in the cities." Actually, she lived in Cheyenne, but to Garibaldi, who was from New York, that was not considered a "city".

"What is it with New Yorkers? I guess every place less populated than yours doesn't count." Both of them shared a chuckle before moving on to more serious topics.

"So how is the crime rate on Proxima?" Garibaldi read the statistics from his trip, but he felt he needed to hear it from someone who actually lived there.

"It's held steady for the past few years. Most of our problems are fistfights, usually between a couple of drunk idiots, no offense."

"It's fine, Lianna. Have there been any more serious problems?"

"Well, we have the usual crimes of passion, where someone kills another in a fit of rage. It fluctuates slightly from year to year. Still, our main problem have been fights, particularly since the Kirani showed up. Supposedly adult, mature men are acting like a bunch of teenagers."

"Why am I less than surprised at that? What I've heard about them is indeed true and to some, it's like a wonderful dream. Still, I'll bet you anything it's not as wonderful or exciting as many people think right now."

"Yeah, that's why it took me a long time to get a week off to see you. Even some of my coworkers are acting this way. I would never have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes." She shook her head at them.

"it's only going to get worse. More Kirani will probably be coming here; it's only a matter of time. We're connected to them, whether we want to be or not. This is like a bad science fiction novel, only we're trapped in it."

"So what, do we have to ban all Kirani ships from coming into our space?"

"Yeah, sure, like that would be a real popular measure. I listened to people who heard about all this. They were overjoyed at the prospect. The Senate would never pass a bill that way. I know plenty about them, from all corners of Earth, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if they start taking 'business trips' here."

"Is that all you do? Gather dirt on politicians?"

"It's an amusing way to spend my time, and no matter their gender or place of origin, there always seems to be some kind of scandal. As for other things, well… I try to protect people that have nowhere else to go." He knew that after the war, Earth had quickly imposed martial law and didn't stop to consider the kind of people that were enforcing it. The professional attitude of the military and police force had been destroyed and some of them were little more than thugs. Garibaldi wasn't, but he knew people who were.

"Still, the crime rate on Earth is a lot worse than here. Try to look after yourself, ok?"

"I thought I was supposed to be the one to say that." Garibaldi chuckled. "Why do you think anyone who can leave does? Our technology can't keep up with demand." He heard a few rumors of people who wanted to find a new home, transport the entire population to a new planet that had an earth-like atmosphere. However, the ones that were available were owned by other races. The closest was Beta Durani, which was now where most of the colonists were going. It was similar to Earth, except for a lower oxygen content, equivalent to around 6,000 feet above sea level on Earth. _If this continues, that may not stop us. _

Just a few months ago, the Earth Alliance had "bought" a couple of Onteen colonies. They paid them money to ease their pride and save face, but they would likely have gone to war if they had refused. Not having any real choice in the matter, they agreed to the deal. Already there were around 100,000 colonists on each planet and a defense grid around each one. There were only a couple dozen satellites, compared to over 2,000 now surrounding Earth, but it would hopefully be enough to discourage attacks.

"So have you heard from your old commander? Sheridan, I think his name was."

"Not for a few months, although we still meet and talk every now and then. I've heard he's overlooking the negotiations between us and the Kirani Union. Not a job I'd want to have." His mind went back to what it was like serving under him. Garibaldi had served under a lot of idiot pricks during his time in the military, but Sheridan was not one of them. He knew what he was doing and did not ask his men to do anything that he was unwilling to do himself. He was hungry and miserable, just like the rest of them.

The main gripe many of the men and women under his command had was that he did not allow mistreatment of Minbari prisoners, one of the very few who did not. He treated them fairly, according to the rules of interstellar war, and did not allow his men to break them. The only time something like that happened was when he learned what happened to his ex-wife Elizabeth Lockley several months after the war. Garbaldi didn't know all the details, but it had to have been something terrible, because that was the only time he saw an angry, sadistic side to Sheridan.

"Michael, did you hear me?" she asked.

"What? Sorry, I was just… thinking about things." Garbaldi sighed.

"War memories?"

"Yeah, they still come to me at times. Anyway, what did you say?"

"I was just mentioning that I'm not very happy about the Kirani being here. I have nothing against aliens, except of course for the Minbari, but they make our men act like a bunch of idiots! It's caused disruption everywhere, I've heard reports of fights breaking out over them, and so on."

"You've forgotten some of the other problems it's going to cause. I doubt all Kirani woman act that way, same as a lot of human men don't do so, even if that's what is generally believed. I doubt this is anywhere close to over; real foolish move on the Governor's part to allow them to dock here." There was something else he knew could pose a problem, but while he might have been so blunt with others, he wasn't going to say it in front of Lianna.

"Yeah, I think I know what may end up happening, even if you don't say. I'm not an idiot, Uncle Mike, and I know you too well. I also happen to agree with you. Unfortunately, I don't think they are going to leave anytime soon." They saw someone coming towards them and sitting down.

"Michael Garibaldi." Sheridan stated, shaking his hand. "I heard you were here. How have you been?"

"I've been about as well as can be expected." Garibaldi replied. "Been busy with work, so I decided to take a vacation to come see Lianna. You remember her, right?"

"Yes, I do." Sheridan smiled, shaking her hand as well. "You look as attractive as ever."

"Hey, watch it." Garibaldi warned half-seriously. "You may have once been my commanding officer, but it doesn't mean I won't beat you if you hurt her."

"Uncle Mike, I'm 30 years old; you don't need to act like a parent." Lianna groaned. "So what can you tell us?"

"Well, Anna is still worrying about me, the way she always does when I have this kind of a job." Sheridan explains. "Wish I could spend more time with her, but with the way things have been going, I'm getting one job after another. I don't understand why they assigned me to this, but I'm doing it the best I can."

"Hey, you're the Starkiller." Garibaldi chuckled. "They probably sent you here so you can terrify them with what will happen if they try to do anything to us."

"So what is our government going to do about this?" Lianna asked. "They can't be happy about it."

"They're not, but there's nothing they can do." Sheridan shook his head. "Support for closer ties to the Kirani is high, but not quite as much as I expected. There are still plenty of people that are unhappy about this, even though shipping companies are making millions of credits transporting people here, Beta Durani, or into Kirani space. It's going to happen, whether we like it or not."

"From the moment I got here, I've heard some women complaining endlessly about it, no offense, Lianna." Garibaldi pointed out. "They aren't very happy because men aren't paying them nearly as much attention anymore. There are others that are more available, so they don't have as many men staring at them."

"Ought to make some of them happy, though." Lianna pointed out. "It's not fun being stared at like they're undressing you with their eyes." She was an attractive woman, so she had a fair amount of experience from that.

"Well, I'm sure it varies between them too." Sheridan pointed out. "I've talked with the Kirani ambassador and apparently the stereotypes that still apply to men, at least to some degree, and were very prominent for the late 20th and early 21st centuries, are a common belief among the Kirani. If I read her correctly, it sounded like a mixture of annoyance and resignation."

"Hey, I've seen people who act that way." Lianna pointed out. "I never did understand the appeal. Stereotypes have some truth in them, even if you don't want to admit it. Men!"

"Yeah, we've been saying that about each other for hundreds of years." Garibaldi replied with amusement. "That'll probably be the case as long as humanity exists."

"And from what I have learned about Kirani history, it seems to be similar to ours, except they fought two world wars instead of three." Sheridan pointed out. "However, I have great difficulty talking to anyone but the ambassador, since she is one of the few who can understand English at all. I was told earlier today that apparently some of their people had been attacked, only the local authorities aren't doing much about it."

"Okay, you're sandbagging; what is it?" Garibaldi asked.

"Well, we're beginning to find out this arrangement isn't as great as it appears." Sheridan sighed. "I talked to some of the people who were arrested, and according to them, they were simply being protective. Apparently, in each case, they saw a man hitting a woman and that was their response."

"I can't say I feel a lot of sympathy." Lianna pointed out. "If they do something like that, they had it coming."

"Maybe, but the Kirani are furious." Sheridan pointed out. "In the cases where both people were Kirani, the very one our guys were trying to protect with furious and demanded their prosecution."

"This is going to get ugly." Garibaldi sighed. "I did a little bit of reading about the Kirani and among them, women are the physically stronger of the genders. You think that could be it?"

"Possible, but I'm in no place to speculate." Sheridan replied. "When I confronted the ambassador, she seemed almost indifferent to it. It didn't seem to be a problem for her."

"Sounds like that kind of thing may be considered acceptable in their culture." Lianna observed. "Before I learned this, I might have been tempted to see one of them, just to learn more about what they are like; no way I'm doing it now."

"Look, I don't care what their culture says: I see anyone pulling that kind of crap, I'm going to teach him a good lesson." Garibaldi promised. This was nothing new for him. In the dark days immediately after the war, he was frequently hired to "persuade" people to leave their partners alone. It might have been considered illegal, but at that time, people in abusive relationships had nowhere to run, no shelters to stay in, so Garibaldi decided to try and help them. For the most part, that was still true.

"Careful; the last thing we need is an interstellar incident." Sheridan warned. "I'm sympathetic, but this isn't the first time there has been friction between us and aliens as a result of cultural differences. I'm hoping to persuade the ambassador to try and restrain her people. If it becomes necessary, I'll have the Kirani put back on their ships."

"It can't be soon enough." Lianna stated. "I'm not exactly happy about having them here. It just sounds too much like a bad science fiction story."

"Except those have a bit of entertainment; there's nothing funny about this." Garibaldi stated. "What do you think is going to happen if they arrive on Earth? If you think the problems are bad now, wait until they start showing up in larger numbers." He spent most of his time on Earth, where there always seemed to be some kind of fistfight, at least where he lived. Having the Kirani arrive was likely to make that even worse.

"What do you propose we do?" Sheridan asked. "Many are going to enjoy having them here, and if what information I have managed to gather is true, for some of the Kirani, this is almost a dream come true. Unless we start shooting their ships down in our space, I don't think there's a lot we can do." Over the last couple of days, he had been spending his time getting whatever information he could about human-Kirani relations. There were a surprising amount of humans who were unhappy about the whole arrangement. Some human women were pleased about male attention focused away from them, but most were actually unhappy about it. Not all men, even young men, were especially pleased about it, either, although their replies were mixed.

Much of the information Sheridan gathered was not surprising to him. Humans were very different in their attitudes. Some people even admitted that while it seemed like a great thing just a couple of days ago, it didn't appear to be so now. Sheridan got the impression that some of the people who answered got into a relationship with a Kirani, only to end up being hurt; Others found it perfectly fine. _They seem to be quite similar to us, only the stereotypes that are used to describe men are used when it comes to women in their culture._ Because he got lost in his thought, he missed some of what Garibaldi and Lianna said.

"So are you up to it?" Garibaldi asked.

"Up to what?" Sheridan wondered. "I'm sorry; I was just thinking about our situation."

"I invited a couple people to a card game; care to join in?" He asked.

"Wow, Uncle Mike, I didn't know you were so eager to lose your money." Lianna laughed. "But these aren't the kind of people who are going to start fistfights over losing a game, right?"

"No, they seem respectable enough." Garibaldi reassured. "I wouldn't make this kind of offer on Earth, but here, I'll do it. I know one of these people; he was an old war buddy of my Dad's."

"I suppose I can join you for a while, though if I'm called up, I will have to leave." Sheridan warned. "Until then, though, I'm going to enjoy winning all your money." That wasn't much of an exaggeration. His father was a diplomat, who taught him a great deal about bluffing and hiding facial expressions, which came in handy with card games.

X X X X X X X X X X

Well, that's another chapter finished. I was going to add more onto it, but decided I had waited long enough to update. If you're wondering where I got the idea for the Kirani, it's from a TNG episode where they did something like this. Of course, all they really did was reverse the stereotypes, so I decided to try something more serious than that.


	8. Maneuverings

If anyone is interested, I am currently making a few revisions on earlier chapters if you want to take another look at them. I've looked at the early chapters and am not especially happy with them, so I am making a couple minor changes. Btw, in this chapter, if I have made any inconsistencies, please point them out to me.

Raw666: well, you'll just have to read the story and find out

YuTG: You might want to keep in mind that the Minbari left some of their technology behind during the invasion of Earth, and we've had a chance to reverse engineer at least some of it.

Mad Eye Harry: The logical side of Delenn's mind knows this. However, she considers herself responsible for the countless deaths in the war, human and Minbari. Part of it is to assuage her guilty conscience.

And you would be correct; at least some in Earthforce are suspicious of aliens. It's part of what I found realistic about Babylon 5; not everyone is tolerant. No matter how advanced we get, human nature stays the same. It's hard to be superior with the current state Earth is in. And yes, I was describing the ship from "Crusade" and "Call to Arms".

Nyt Yanse: There is a reason I put the Kirani in the story.

JC Fabulous: Yes, a lot of things have changed. If you think the humans and Minbari hate each other in the series, multiply that several times over.

X X X X X X X X X X

October 22, 2260

"I have to admit, for a while there, I didn't think I was going to get through that." Alex told his brother. He had changed a lot in two months. He had developed a lot more muscle, and was capable of endurance he never thought he had before. Still, it was extremely difficult for him to survive Basic Training, and there were a couple of times where it seemed he wasn't going to make it.

"And yet somehow you managed to survive." Ta'kani quipped. He found it considerably easier than him, although it was more difficult than he expected. While Narns may have been much stronger than humans, it wasn't exactly a breeze. Even with his advantages, the drill sergeant managed to defeat him every time when they were training in hand to hand. He got angry and attacked fiercely, not used to being completely outclassed, which made it even more difficult to win. What he mainly did was encourage his brother when he was about ready to give up, not believing that he could pass.

"God knows how, but I did." Alex chuckled. He looked down at himself and smirked slightly. _Wow, I'm actually hot; who can resist all this? Okay, maybe I should stop with the egotism. _"Besides, I didn't fail at everything. Unlike you, I can actually shoot." One of the few places he ended up excelling at was marksmanship, with both slug throwers and PPGs. Alex wasn't exactly sure why he had the talent, but he did and he made the most of it.

"Yeah, and that made a lot of them jealous."

"What else is new? I had to deal with the same kind of crap at school." That was only way of putting it. The only reason he wasn't treated worse was that his classmates found out that it was a very bad idea to piss off a Narn. The crime rate in his city was horrible. "So what do you think about the proposal to implement Martial Law once again?"

"What choice is there? You grew up there; you remember what it was like, what it's still like."

"Yeah, on the one hand, it'd be a lot faster to walk home." Even in the daytime, it was risky. Alex remembered what happened to a girl he was interested in when she tried to get home by herself. He offered to walk her home, but she refused. Needless to say, she didn't make it. He didn't like to remember that story, even if it happened to nearly a dozen people in his school. They lived in a state of fear, with armed guards at every entrance. Still, when it was over, they had no such protection, so even at an older age, they were often picked up because parents didn't want to take the chance of anything happening.

The students who weren't were at a much higher risk, either because their parents were confident or were just indifferent. Alex knew a couple people with lousy families, complete with abuse, drugs, and more. He heard stories from people who remembered what life was like before the war, and was told that in that time their parents would have been thrown behind bars, and their children placed in what they hoped would be more stable homes. Now, though… they were stuck because there were few resources to help him. Alex couldn't remember a time when they had other options, better alternatives, and was grateful that he wasn't stuck in that situation.

"Is there anything else you're going to say about that?" Ta'Kani asked.

"Yeah, sorry; was lost in my thoughts there." Alex responded. The military did their best to drill that habit out of them, but when he wasn't busy, it still happened. He spaced out quite frequently, even more so when he was younger. "On the other hand, someone might decide to use Martial Law to turn our government into a dictatorship."

"Hmm, I can never quite get used to you humans constantly criticizing your government. On Narn, very few if any attacked the Kha'ri. They got the job because they are the most qualified to run it."

"Maybe that works for you, but it's never worked for us. We've had one dictatorship after another, ones that have killed tens of millions. If you don't keep a watchful eye on them, they become corrupt and decide they know what it best for you, or so they say. They're only interested in their own power."

"By that logic, I imagine you have a strong argument. I am not one who is very interested in history and have never understood your passion."

"We had a couple history books in the shelter we stayed in and after reading them, it became an interest. Okay, I couldn't understand much of them at the time, but I still liked it. 21st century and the Third World War are my favorite subjects."

"Are we going to meet up with the others?"

"Yeah, that's where we're heading."

"Then we are going in the wrong direction." Alex looked around the ruined buildings, discovered his brother was right, and cursed to himself. He turned around, wishing he had a better since of direction. They finally got to one of the local taverns and they entered, seeing many familiar faces.

"Hey, good to see you!" Thomas Frank greeted, slapping him on the shoulder. He was about an inch shorter then Alex, but solidly built. Before Basic Training, he was also slightly overweight, although that quickly changed due to the demands their Sergeants gave them. _I don't know how that is possible, since we're having a hard time even growing food for ourselves. His family definitely has money. _"We were starting to think you weren't coming."

"Yeah, sorry I'm late." Alex replied. "I got a little lost on the way; was spacing out."

"Not a good idea in this city." Thomas shook his head. "The way things are going, you're lucky you didn't have your throat slashed. I still remember when you were spacing out when our drill sergeant was screaming at us."

"Yeah, I know. My arms ache just from the memory of it." Alex had to do 50 pushups after that with 30 pounds on his back, the rest of the squad getting 25. Needless to say, that did not make him very popular among the recruits.

"No big deal for me; it was quite easy." Ta'Kani replied. "Humans really aren't that strong." He learned better than to hit his brother, even in a joking way. Among humans, it caused considerable pain.

"Lucky bastard; wasn't any trouble for you at all." Thomas responded. "Still, you get your ass kicked at hand to hand just like the rest of us."

"You're just jealous." Alex laughed. Admittedly, he was too, but if it annoyed his fellow recruit, he was not above using it. "Jeez, this place is crowded."

"This isn't even all of us; wouldn't be enough room." Thomas smirked, accidentally elbowing someone in the back. It looked like an accident, anyway. "Least none of the real stupid ones are here. They'd probably start a fight, wreck the bar, and get us all in trouble. Come on, get a drink."

Alex wasn't especially fond of alcohol, but didn't want to appear a bad sport, so he went along with it. He slowly drank the beer, while he watched his adopted brother and Thomas gulp it down.

"Ha ha, we actually made it through that!" Another fellow recruit Amelia Robinson smiled. She planted herself next to the trio and looked at them. "I didn't think you were coming, Alex." She was around 5'5 with long red hair and brown eyes that held a determined look inside them.

"Hey, I didn't want to miss the celebrations." Alex replied. "Oh, and since you're here, I just have one thing to say: I'm a better shot than you, Ha Ha!"

"Yeah, thanks; I didn't get that the last 50 times you told me." Amelia smiled. "You just got lucky, Alex. I'll beat you one of these days."

"And I look forward to it." Ta'kani replied before Alex could. "After all, I think his ego could use a good deflating." Alex elbowed him good-naturedly in the ribs.

"Eh, all of you are just jealous." Alex smiled, having a good time despite expecting the contrary. He really had made a few friends in basic training, even if they often got on his nerves. "So do you think they're really going to declare Martial Law?"

"Let's not think about that now!" Thomas interjected. "We're here to have fun, not worry about the future. Come on, I want something stronger. Hey, I'll have a bourbon; make it a double!" He paid his money and quickly got the drink.

"So do you have any plans to pass out in the near future?" Alex quipped. "If you do, I'm not hauling your ass back to base."

"As if you could." Thomas shot back.

"So which of you handsome men will buy me a drink?" Amelia asked, posing for them.

"Well, if you're too cheap to buy your own, you'll just have to do without." Ta'Kani remarked.

"Come on, that isn't how it's supposed to work." Amelia protested. "You're supposed to fall over one another to get a drink in a sad attempt to win me over."

"Well, I'm afraid we're just too cheap for that." Alex laughed. He was tempted to say something more, but didn't want to offend someone he got along well with. "Do you do this often?"

"Only when I didn't bring enough money." Amelia smirked. She got a shot of vodka and downed it. "Fortunately for you guys, I didn't forget it this time."

"So which one of you wimps has the balls to try and best me in a drinking contest?" Thomas smirked.

"Count me out; it's more fun just to watch you make an ass of yourself." Alex replied. He didn't intend to spend his first day as a soldier hung over. _Yeah, that would really impress the Brass, all right. _

"Sure, I'll go for it." Amelia laughed. "30 credits says you can't beat me and the loser has to pay for both of us." Thomas laughed and shook her hand, and they walked to a table. Alex and Ta'Kani followed, hoping that their mutual friend wouldn't get into too much trouble.

Both of them drank 4 shots without it noticeably affecting them, numerous people cheering the duo on, making bets on who would win. Alex simply watched silently; he didn't like this, especially since someone he knew died in a similar game 2 years ago. Now they were at 6, and Thomas was starting to lose his focus.

More people cheered, thinking he was about to pass out, but he kept it up, and so did Amelia. Alex learned towards his brother and said: "10 credits on Amelia." Ta'Kani nodded, shaking his hand, remembering that it was a symbol of, among other things, agreement among humans.

It went on for several more minutes before Amelia finally collapsed on the table, to the delight of some and the consternation of others. Thomas cheered as best he could, but he was very close to passing out himself. He tried standing up and fell to the floor. Alex took his hand and steadied him up, handing his brother the 10 credits he promised. "Thank you very much." Ta'Kani gloated.

"Damn it, we better get him out of here." Alex told his brother. "He's in no shape to stay; better get him to his cot so he can sleep it off." However, it looked like he was going to have to carry him there, or at least drag him. _Just what I wanted to do tonight: drag a drunk idiot all the way back to base. _Ta'Kani laughed, but he was too loyal to his brother to leave him to fend for himself.

Carrying him back to the barracks was slow, exhausting work. Ta'Kani walked ahead, making sure there was no one around that would try and take advantage. They may have been dressed in uniforms, but that was no guarantee of safety these days. Alex panted and walked, nearly hitting Thomas' head on a pole. _This idiot owes me big time for this. _

He heard the sound of a charging PPG behind him. "Give me all the money you have or I'm going to shoot." A voice said behind him. Slowly, Alex turned around and saw someone half-hidden in the dark. "Don't try any stupid shit; just give me your money." Alex reached into his pocket, handing him the 70 credits or so he had converted into cash from his account.

Ta'Kani glared and was about to charge him, but with the gun still pointed at his brother, he decided it was an unwise idea. After the robber had gotten the money, both worried that he was decide to kill them anyway, so he wouldn't leave witnesses. Indeed, he seemed to be considering that. He pointed his gun at Alex, but before he could make up his mind about anything, Ta'Kani charged him, throwing him against the wall.

With the gun ripped out of his hands, it was a one-sided beating. Ta'Kani hit him over and over again, Alex hearing the sound of his nose break. He was thrown to the ground, moaning in pain. Ta'Kani grabbed the money and Alex glared furiously, tempted to finish him off. He didn't want to take the chance of the man having friends or simply deciding to kill them on his own, but couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger on someone who was currently helpless. He tossed the gun to Ta'Kani, and hoisted Thomas up over his shoulder.

"Well, this has certainly been an eventful night." Alex remarked.

"Should I finish him?" Ta'Kani asked, not moving. "It would be a wise idea, and I do not want him to take a second chance at us." He found a good way to vocalize Alex's thoughts.

"No, he doesn't know who we are." Alex replied. "Let him go; besides, he's not going to be in any shape to try it again anytime soon. Damn, I envy your strength sometimes." Furious as Alex was, he didn't have the heart to do it. They continued walking towards the base, and thankfully, nothing else happened to make their night even more eventful.

It was a long, slow journey, but finally, the barracks were in sight. The sentries stopped him briefly, and laughed when Alex explained the situation. They let him pass, though, so he was inclined to overlook carried him to the bed and dropped him not too gently. Alex nearly fell to his knees and sat on his own cot, feeling the full weight of his exhaustion.

"Wow, it was really that hard?" Ta'Kani quipped. "I could have carried him and still handled the mugger."

"Yes, I know; Narns are stronger than humans. Just shut up." Alex laid down onto the cot. It was very uncomfortable for the first week or so of basic training, although sheer exhaustion eventually did the job. He had gotten used to it, so it didn't take him very long to fall asleep.

X X X X X X X X X X

P-1: (85 percent) Lowest level on the Psi Scale. Abilities are minimal, except for knowing when they are being scanned, although blocking them is close to impossible. They generally have a higher than normal intuition when it comes to detecting emotions or lies from normal when alone with them. Difficult to detect except for genetic testing. Telepathic power considered insufficient for training or monitoring.

P-2 (5 percent) Similar abilities to a P-1, only more pronounced. They are capable of blocking weak scans for a short time, and most of the time, can read emotions or lies from normals when alone with them. Slightly easier to detect, but still difficult. Telepathic power considered insufficient for training or monitoring.

P-3 (2 percent) Capable of surface scans on a person for a short period of time. Always able to read emotions or lies from a normal person when alone, although if there is one than one present, it becomes far more difficult. They are able to detect scans and block surface ones them for a longer period of time. P-3's are considered powerful enough for the effort made to train them, although they serve in secondary roles.

P-4 (2 percent) Capable of surface scans for a longer period of time, but can still quickly become exhausting. They are able to do so when there are 2 people in the nearby vicinity, but accuracy rapidly decreases after that.

P-5 (3 percent) Most common among commercial telepaths. They are capable of surface scans for a prolonged period of time, and are able to do so even if there is more than one person. However, among 4 or more individuals, it is very difficult to scan or detect subtle emotions.

P-6 (2 percent) Lowest level capable of performing deep scans, although they can only do so for a limited amount of time, approximately 5 minutes. Also common among commercial telepaths, used to verify whether or not someone is telling the truth during negotiations. Can detects lies or emotions from all normals and most of the time, from lower level telepaths. Capable of resisting a surface scan for a long period of time, although deep scans among stronger telepaths will break their barriers quickly. They feel a background noise among crowds, even if they cannot detect specific thoughts.

P-7 (.4 percent) Moderate level on the Psi Scale. Have all abilities of lower telepaths, and are able to resist a deep scan for around 10 minutes. They feel a background noise among crowds, although they cannot detect specific thoughts, just like a P-6. They can sustain a surface scan for a long period of time and a deep scan for a moderate period.

P-8 (.2 percent) Lowest level that can implant false images to normals, although it only works effectively around a single person and even low level telepaths are mostly able to see through the deception. Able to sustain deep scans for around 20 minutes and surface scans nearly indefinitely; able to resist a deep scan from a P-12 for approximately 15 minutes.

P-9 (.15 percent) High Level on the Psi Scale, and the lowest that can detect electronic monitoring equipment, mostly at under 100 feet. They are able to sustain deep scans for approximately 30 minutes, after which it becomes dangerous; capable of resisting a deep scan from a P-12 for approximately 20 minutes. They can implant images in normals and telepaths ranked P-3 or below.

P-10 (.1 percent) High level on the Psi Scale and are generally instructors, teaching child telepaths how to use their abilities. They are skilled at using and blocking scans; highly trained P-10s are able to block a scan from a P-12 for over 25 minutes, and can intensify scans which can quickly kill, although it is exhausting and even dangerous to do so. They can implant false images in normals and telepaths P-4 or below, although only a small amount of people can be affected by it. Lowest level capable of implanting an Asimov, although it is difficult, exhausting, and not always effective for them. They can even detect vessels in Hyperspace at short distances and recording equipment at distances up to 150 feet; able to read surface thoughts among relatively small crowds of people.

P-11 (.1 percent) Very High level on the Psi Scale; they are capable of deep scans for around 40 minutes, after which it becomes highly dangerous for the telepath to continue. They are capable of blocking scans from all low level and most high level telepaths, and are able to kill with a deep scan should they desire to do so. Capable of implanting false images in normal and telepaths P-5 or below. Multiple people in a single room is only a small obstacle, and they are able to scan even when they are in close proximity, although it becomes a great strain and the telepath's ability to sustain it is reduced. They generally join Psi Affairs and are able to detect ships in hyperspace at moderate distances. Able to implant an Asimov in a normal or low level telepath. They can detect electronic recording equipment at long distances, from 200 feet or more; require special training because of their ability to read surface thought even in moderate crowds.

P-12 (.05 percent) highest conventional telepath on the scale. P-12's are capable of deep scans for 50 minutes or even longer, depending on training, capable of raising the scan to a lethal level, able to block most surface or deep scans from lower telepaths. They are able to implant false images among multiple people at one time, including telepaths P-6 or below, read surface thoughts almost unconsciously even in a large crowd of people. (special training is required to block them out, due to their power) Are allowed to become Psi-Cops or Psi Affairs, although ones who decide to generally choose the former. Are able to detect ships in hyperspace over great distances and are capable of implanting an "Asimov" in a normal or lower level telepath, although this is rarely done. They can detect electronic recording from 250 feet, or even farther, depending on training.

P-13+ (0 percent) purely theoretical, powers beyond which any human telepath can naturally use. However, artificial enhancement has had some success in reaching P-13, although the verification of such success is contested. In theory, they would be capable of setting up barriers that no telepath could break and deep scans that no amount of shielding could withstand for very long. They could detect ships in hyperspace over even greater distances and possibly even surface thoughts of its crew, although this is merely speculation.

Julia Warren shook herself out of her thoughts. She had read those reports and studies often enough, and the facts were a lot more complex than the basic summary. She was a P-8 herself, though she bordered on P-9. She was nervous and excited at the same time in flight school. Ever since the war, they allowed telepaths in the military, although they had to make sure their instructors at least knew.

_Of course, the fact my dad is director of the Psi Corps doesn't hurt, either. _Julia thought to herself. He had taken control of the Corps a couple years after the war, and managed to keep things from descending into anarchy once many of them died in the war, including their most ruthless operative, Alfred Bester. It was nothing humanitarian on his part, merely realizing that their actions were going to result in the telepath community tearing itself apart in civil war.

Julia knew that many normals (many in the Corps called them mundanes, but she did not) were still suspicious of them. It was nothing compared to the stories she had heard about when telepaths were first discovered, but nonetheless, it was not pleasant. She had met people on the relatively rare occasion her dad let her out of Teep Town that had no problem with telepaths, who felt they were no better or worse than anybody else.

She still wasn't happy about it, but being close to 22 years old gave her a perspective on things. When she was a teenager, she was very resentful of it, thinking that all he wanted to do was control every aspect of her life. Julia snuck out of the place and looked around the cities, wandering, exploring, even having fun.

However, with the wisdom of age, she learned her father wasn't trying to control. She liked being watched no more than she did in the past, but she no longer hated him for it the way she once did. Even in flight school, she was watched, though she didn't intend to follow it. Julia had always been rebellious, even when she was small.

She was also old enough to remember the outbreak of the Earth-Minbari war. What was once confidence quickly turned into despair as things got steadily worse out there. When they arrived at Earth, she hid with her father as best she could, along with her 2 siblings. She was the only one of them to survive. Her older brother died in combat, and her sister… was taken prisoner. She was one of the data crystals their government gave to the Minbari and the League.

Ever since her dream was to fly a Starfury. She smiled at the thought of flying in the air, running circles around humanity's hated enemy and shooting them down like the vermin they were. It had taken a lot of convincing, but when she made it clear she was going into flight school regardless of what her father felt about it, he had agreed, even though he was still having her watched.

_I know I'm his only child after the war, but damn it, I can take care of myself! _She exclaimed, though she never voiced this around normals. Her instructors knew of her status as a telepath, but Julia didn't want that spread around her classmates.

Like over 100 others, she was sitting in an auditorium, waiting for one of the instructors to appear. Finally, he did and he stood in front of a podium. "Ladies and Gentleman, be seated." He told them, and they quickly obeyed. Even though he had to be close to 70, she sensed that he was someone you did not want to get on the wrong side of, and truthfully, she was glad everything had subsided. The buzzing feeling she always felt around a crowd had quieted somewhat, but it could make it highly difficult to concentrate.

"My name is Kenneth Corelone, and I would like to introduce you to flight school." He stated. "One thing before we begin the presentation that I would like to point out is that it will be a long time before you are highly trained enough to fly a top of the line Starfury. It looks quite simple, which is due to the efficiency of the design, but there is much you have to learn before you get there."

As he continued to drone on, with a holographic presentation of what was expected of them as students, Julia's mind wandered off. _All these introductions seem to be the same. _She raised her eyes; there was another telepath in this room, probably the one her father sent. Indeed, the other telepath was quite close to her.

_Hello, Julia, how are you?_

_Lyta Alexander! So you're the one he sent here. _Julia gave him reluctant credit for not being stupid. She and Lyta had always gotten along well, and indeed, Lyta was her mentor for the early years of training. Julia saw her almost as an older sister.

_Yes, and as far as anyone knows, I am simply another student. When we talk out loud, my name will be Marcy Davis._

_Okay, thanks for telling me. All these introductions seem to be the same. I hope we're not going to have to stand up and introduce ourselves._

_I'm afraid so, Julia. _Lyta chuckled. _I hated it just as much as you do. _

_Long way from Teep Town in Britain, isn't it? _Ever since the war, the main school for telepaths was relocated to the outskirts of London, since Britain had gotten out of the war relatively intact. It was not unaffected, but compared to many other places, they were well off. The Minbari paid little attention to small landmasses and islands. _Probably didn't look like much from 30,000 miles up._

_What was that, Julia?_

_Sorry, I was just thinking._

_Just wait until you get out of flight school; most pilots are assigned to a destroyer or a space station. If you're real lucky, you might get one of those new furies they've been talking about. _

_Wow, that would be great! Do you know what kind of stuff they have us do for training?_

_Not very much. They'll try to get you resistant to dizziness. Those machines are not fun, and being a telepath gives you little immunity._

She was caught up in talking to Lyta that she nearly forgot to stand up. Julia gave her name and then sat down, not wanting to give a long introduction. Some of them were as brief as hers, while others could go on and on about themselves.

That night, she was barely able to sleep and the next morning, she had to listen to more of them lecture. She got excited when she learned that they were going to start real flying in a month, but until then, they had to use simulations. Julia used her telepathic abilities to help her fly, avoid obstacles, and shoot down opponents. When they were tested against each other, she was one of the last to go down, though the winner of that contest was someone named Cesar.

Other machines, however, were not so pleasant. She was strapped into a circle which spun her around and around, making her dizzy within a few seconds and feeling like she wanted to throw up. The challenge was to write their own name on the keyboard next to them, which none of them managed to do; the instructor was not surprised in the least. Several threw up on the ground, collapsing on the floor

"I hope this teaches you why you are not yet ready to fly on a fury." he informed them. "When you have completed everything, you will be able to last indefinitely without much difficulty. You are highly unlikely to endure as much out in space, but the first rule of flying is to be prepared for anything. Overconfidence will only get you killed."

Julia managed to stand, but just barely. The whole room seemed to be spinning to her, and she had only lasted 55 seconds. She took a deep breath, steadied herself using her abilities, and things slowly started coming back to her. Along with everyone else, she left the training ground in a daze, holding onto the wall to keep from falling over.

She retired to her bunk, where she saw a couple of people sitting next to her. "Jeez, I didn't know it was going to be this hard." One of them complained. "I thought we'd just go out there and start flying those things. It's a lot tougher than it looks. Carrie Ming, and your name is?" She was from China, even though she had a western name. Carrie was around 5'4, had dark eyes and hair, and was wearing a flight uniform.

"Julia Warren; nice to meet you." Julia stated, shaking her hand.

"And my name is Daniel Henderson." The guy greeted. He was of European descent, was around 6'2, had brown hair and light blue eyes. "I must admit, that was pretty embarrassing. I'm still feeling dizzy here."

"I know the feeling; I have a headache from all that." Julia replied. They seemed decent enough to her, so she continued to talk.

"Maybe I shouldn't ask this, but I guess I may as well. Did you lose anyone to the Minbari?" Julia asked.

"No, and I was very lucky not to." Carrie replied. "My parents found me and my sister a safe place, and my grandparents were on Mars, which wasn't badly hit."

"I lost my mother in the bombardment, and my grandparents in the rioting that followed." Daniel sighed, bowing his head. "It's part of the reason I joined up. I want them to know how it feels."

"Part of the reason for me too." Julia admitted. "I lost my two older siblings, and my brother was captured by the Minbari." She fought back tears at what he must have suffered. She could have seen with her own eyes, but didn't have the strength to do so. "That, and my father is kind of overprotective. It's annoying, but I'm the only child he has left, so I can't hate him for it." Julia was hoping she could make real friends, people who didn't like her just because of who her father was.

X X X X X X X X X X

October 22, 2260

Geneva, Switzerland

"All right, let us get down to business." Alexandra Foreman told the members of her cabinet, along with unofficial adviser William Grey. "There is only one question at the moment: should we impose Martial Law?" The setup had its similarities to the American presidential cabinet, except that there was only the Secretary of Defense, Economics, Earth, and Transportation.

"I don't think we have much choice but to do so." stated Secretary of Defense Sergei Baskov. "We have all read the latest reports of vigilante justice. In good conscience, we cannot allow this to continue. Places like Chicago, Moscow, and New Delhi are not far from anarchy."

"If we even think about doing anything of the sort, people will be screaming their heads off." said the Secretary of Economics, Monique Dutord. she was the youngest of the cabinet at 44, and strongly disagreed with him. "They will fear the loss of their freedoms, and we could see rioting in the streets at the very suggestion."

"And how loud are they screaming now?" Baskov demanded. He was nearly 60 and during the war, had commanded an entire division in the defense of Moscow. "The murder rate has gone past 25 per 100,000 around Earth, and in the cities I have mentioned, it is nearly 60! The authorities are either corrupt, incompetent, or frightened. We must take charge of the situation! This has not been seen since immediately after the war!"

"And where would you propose to implement Martial Law?" Foreman asked.

"All over Earth; the examples I have mentioned are only the worst of them." Baskov replied. "We cannot allow our planet to descend into chaos!"

"We don't have enough soldiers to pull off anything like that, or even close to it." Secretary of Transportation Harold Jackson reminded the others. "At the moment, we have approximately 25 million soldiers total, not nearly enough for the entire planet. Technology cannot help us much, since there are always ways to get around it and always will be."

"I concede the point, but nonetheless, it must be done!" Baskov exclaimed.

"And how happy will the public be to see soldiers everywhere?" Dutord asked. "There are many spots on Earth where crime is at a reasonable level and certainly not enough for your proposal!"

"Not only will Martial Law deal with the criminals, it will protect innocent people who have found themselves victims of vigilante justice." Baskov went on as if he had not spoken. He took out a newspaper report. True, he could have used a holographic one, but it was much less expensive this way. "Take a look at what this says. 3 young men accused of raping a 15-year-old girl were strung up onto a lamppost, their hands chopped off their bodies, and then set on fire! There are examples of this all over this planet!"

"He is already being prosecuted for first degree murder, as he should be." Dutord retorted. "True, the crime rate is unpleasant, but if we impose Martial Law, we will begin a whole series of new problems."

"Martial Law all over this planet is impossible; we do not have enough soldiers or enough transports." Jackson remarked. "If we decide to do this, I suggest we limit it to the areas with the highest crime. They may be happy to see our men and women protect them so they can feel safe in their homes. Areas with a lower crime rate will do nothing but resent their presence."

"Are the police unable to get a handle of this?" asked the Secretary of Earth, Ronald Vercetti. "I have my reservations about imposing Martial Law anywhere, as I believe this is best left to the proper authorities." He knew what the possible consequences could be and was not about to let that happen to the home he loved.

"We are the proper authorities!" Baskov insisted. "The police are able to do little about this, so it is up to us. The story I have given you has been repeated everywhere. There are more about entire families being slaughtered at a whim, simply because psychopaths find it fun. They are acting like Minbari!" He could think of no stronger insult.

"The crime rate has been fluctuating from year to year, as it always does." Dutord pointed at. "Currently, it is only slightly more than half of where it was after the war, when we had no choice but to implement it. This is not the same situation."

"It is exactly the same!" Baskov insisted. "It has been growing yearly ever since we revoked it in 2253. Are we willing to let things get that chaotic again?"

"You bring back the past for your argument, then." Dutord smiled. "Remember what some of our soldiers did and got away with because people were too frightened to report them? They were afraid that they now lived in a dictatorship, where our military could do whatever it wanted without consequence! You say it will eliminate crime, but the only thing that will change is who is committing them!"

"If I may interrupt, Gentleman." Jackson intervened before things could get more heated between them. "Both of you have valid points. Martial Law must be used, but only in the areas where it is little above anarchy. There must also be a way to punish soldiers who decide to abuse their authority, and they should be punished severely. I propose we choose five cities that are exceptionally violent and use it there. If it proves to be effective, we can extend it to others in a similar situation."

"To be blunt, there are no good choices before us." William Grey stated, speaking up for the first time. "If we implement it all over the planet, we will not have enough soldiers to govern it all and open ourselves to the possibility of a dictator. On the other hand, if we do nothing, certain areas will descend into anarchy, and even otherwise honest people will turn to crime because they have no other means of defending themselves and orphans will join gangs for the same reason. Where do we find a middle ground?

"Personally, I think we should use Martial Law in areas where the homicide rate is 50 per 100,000 thousand or higher. This will spare the areas that are not in such a severe state, and may provide some relief to the citizens of Earth who live in fear every day of their lives. We have a responsibility to ensure both their safety and their freedom.

"With all respect to Mr. Baskov, the situation is different. It is far from pleasant, but not what we faced in the first years after the war. We imposed Martial Law not only for safety reasons, but to ensure that sufficient supplies of food reached our population and that the roads would be rebuilt to allow that to happen." It was the hardest decision Grey had to make during his brief time as President, and one he did so with great reluctance.

"Yes, we have a responsibility to ensure their safety, but all citizens, not just certain ones." Baskov replied. "Perhaps we should ask them what it is like to stay huddled in fear, even in your own home, not knowing if you will survive another day, not knowing if your children will be attacked on their way to school. Ask them what it is like also to worry that your family, your friends could be the target of vigilante justice."

"How about worrying that their freedoms will be gone, that you could be killed for speaking out?" Dutord retorted. "If we do this, it is only a small step to a dictatorship, which only ends in suffering and death. Yes, we have our problems, but Martial Law will only make this worse."

"Perhaps you should show our president a little respect." Baskov demanded.

"Nothing will be solved through attack." Vercetti reminded them. "I must admit, I am beginning to think that it may be our only option, at least in part. We all remember the chaos and devastation that occurred once we drove the Minbari off our home. Earth is a dying planet, with everyone who can afford to start a new life elsewhere doing so. Our terraforming technology is unable to keep up with demand. Imposing Martial Law at the areas with the worst crime rates can help keep our people safe and sending a message that we are not simply ignoring the problem." Most humans that could afford it now were going to Beta Durani, which had an Earth-like atmosphere, although it was slightly hotter, even before the dust cooled their home planet. It was their largest colony, at more than 75 million people and growing every day, far more than the roughly 845,000 who lived there before the war.

"Your point is valid, but we must proceed cautiously." Jackson stated. "We must work with the local authorities, not against them, and root out as many corrupt people as we can find. We should be supporting them, not supplanting them."

After several more days of debate, they decided to impose Martial Law on 10 cities: Chicago, Mexico City, Moscow, Budapest, New Delhi, Shanghai, Kursk, Tehran, Sevilla, and Nairobi. The next topic of debate was whether or not to decrease the amount of military spending.

Baskov argued strongly against it, saying that they needed to protect themselves from other powers who might decide to take advantage of their weakness. Jackson was for it, believing that they needed to concentrate more at home first. Dutord wanted to decrease it only slightly, and focus it more on orbital defense platforms.

"Ask me only one question before you try to get me to change my mind: can we defend ourselves against the Minbari?" Baskov asked. None of them answered him. They all knew the answer was no, however much they wished otherwise.

"We can hurt them badly enough to where they will not wage a war of aggression against us." Jackson pointed out. "We held them off in space for 2 years, we are far stronger now than we were then, and we have valuable allies so we will not fight alone. They know better than to try and start another war."

"Much good that did us last time." Baskov reminded. "We decreased the military budget to 5 percent of GIP and look at what the result was. Our technology fell behind and proved all but useless against them, our so called allies refused to help us, so we fought alone, and we will be enduring the results of that war for decades to come! We cannot make a similar mistake."

"I am not sure we should cut the military, either, but perhaps we should transfer some of the funds." Dutord suggested. "There are only around 240 orbital defense platforms around Beta Durani, our largest colony at over 80 million people, compared to 410 around Mars and over 2,000 surrounding Earth. We must at least double that amount over the next couple of years, since that seems to be the colony most escaping Earth are going to."

"Yes, but the money we can cut by decreasing military spending can be used to build more infrastructure, more homes." Jackson pointed out. "If we are able to lower the amount of taxes we take, we can give people incentive to create jobs, and building on Beta Durani is rapidly expanding. Lower taxes and that will grow even more."

"And if we cut the military budget, we will put many dockworkers and shipbuilders out of work." Baskov protested.

"They can easily get jobs building homes on Beta Durani." Jackson stated.

"Let us consider all the possible consequences here." Dutord informed. "Earth is still in ruins and many of the cities are devastated, despite 12 years of rebuilding, not to mention everything that is going on in our colonies. Cutting the military and reducing taxes may help with the process. However, Baskov has an excellent point as well. History has shown us that we cannot rely on our allies if the Minbari decide to attack us again. We asked the League for aid, and they were terrified into standing down. We asked the Centauri and they were afraid to help us. How can we think differently this time around? We made an alliance with the Narn and the Drazi to dissuade them, but if it comes down to another war… I don't think we can rely on them."

"Thank you, Miss Dutord." Baskov said in surprise. They were usually on opposite ends of an issue, but on this at least, they were in agreement.

"We have been in a War Economy for 4 years now." Jackson argued. "We have built a huge fleet and strong defenses. Now it is time to focus more at home. I propose we cut the military spending to 55 trillion credits, rather than the 70 it is now. That will leave us strong enough to counter any threat and leave our people enough money to improve their lives." Currently, government spending was 38 percent of GIP and over 60 percent of that was for the military. Unemployment was only at around 4 percent, but decent jobs were still difficult to find.

"We should cut the spending down to 25 percent and transfer some of the money towards building the Warlock class Destroyers." Vercetti suggested. "They are more than a match for any ship the other races have, including the Sharlin cruisers, I believe. However, the technology is new and there is much we do not know about it. It takes us close to a month to build one, so we should focus on building more of them in a shorter period of time. They have a great deal of potential for the future."

"You have an excellent point." Baskov agreed. "The Omega design is strong, sturdy, and we can build them with relative ease, but they cannot withstand the more advanced races out there. The Centauri, possibly, but not against the Minbari and they are our primary concern, which is why we cannot cut military spending."

"What about our Orbital defenses?" Dutord asked. "They must be increased around Beta Durani and Vega Colony! We should do as you suggested, but transfer some of it to more defenses as well should another war turn against us." Vega colony had around 4 million people and 165 Orbital Platforms. Proxima had around 200, and each of the Orion colonies had around 70 to 75. Beta colonies had anywhere from 35 to 70, as did Omega 7, New California, Dakota colony, and Flynn colony. The former Markab colonies generally had around 100 to protect colonists and shipyards the Earth Alliance had around them.

"Our strategy should be based on overwhelming force and coordinated firepower; a defensive war will get us nowhere!" Baskov exclaimed.

"I still say the military spending should be cut to 20 percent." Jackson recommended. "It will leave us enough to do everything we need to without gouging the taxpayers of their hard earned money."

"Your proposal has admit, but can we cut military spending without leaving ourselves vulnerable?" Foreman wondered. "I do not wish to repeat history. We were damn lucky to survive the last time around, and in fact, we would not have survived if the Minbari attack on the Abbai did not open up new fronts for them."

"We can perhaps cut it to 25 percent, but no more than that." Dutord replied. "We dare not fall behind in respect to the other races, at least the ones we know about."

"We can cut it to 20 percent with little risk to ourselves." Jackson insisted. "It is still more than any other race spends. The Narn spend 16 percent, the Drazi 14, and both economics are considerably smaller than ours."

"Were we in a different position, perhaps I could agree with you." Baskov informed. "Since our GIP is barely half of what it was before the war, we do not have such a luxury. We must build more and better destroyers, improve our fighters to where they can stand against any opponent, and be capable of defeating anyone so we never face this kind of situation again."

"And if things do not go well, we need more orbital weapons platforms to defend ourselves and make any potential enemy bleed." Dutord stated. "Those and the Warlocks should be our priority."

"What about matters at home?" Jackson argued. "The external threat is all well and good, but things are still in disarray. Many of our people are suffering simply because there are no resources that can help them. Considering that cutting the military budget will be slow and it will be difficult to convince the House and Senate to go along with it, it will give us time to build up even more and once it is cut, we can start taking care of things at home."

"Steps are being taken to rectify that." Foreman assured. "And yes, even if we agree to cut the budget, plenty will argue against it and try to filibuster. I estimate it will take a few weeks at least if they agree, though months sound more probable."

"You are a devious one." Baskov complimented. "Nonetheless, it cannot be cut. It will put many out of work, it will leave us vulnerable, and our enemies will take it as a sign of weakness. We must learn from our past mistakes!"

"I think we can sell it to them, the Congress and the public both." Jackson declared. "We can say that it will allow the taxpayers to keep more of their money, and since when has anyone complained about their taxes being lowered? It will also give us a chance to really get our economy moving again and our cities fully rebuilt."

"Yes, we can sell it to the public, but do they really want to lose their sense of security?" Dutord pointed out. "It would be more difficult than you might believe. We've only kept taxes as high as they are because of we face in the outside galaxy. I wish it wasn't necessary, but it is. I have strong reservations against any military cutbacks at all, but it must be kept to a minimum of 25 percent."

After a few more days of debate, they agreed to a compromise. They would propose that taxes be lowered slightly and military spending decreased to 6 trillion credits, roughly 20 percent of the Gross Interstellar product. However, the debate in the House of Earth representatives appeared to have no end. Some were in favor of it, some opposed it, some argued that it should be done another way… it was endless.

During it all, only Jackson remained convinced it was the right decision. The others were less sure. There was also Martial Law to consider as well, and none of them wanted to do that. No matter what opinion they had, even if they denied, they looked with fear into the stars.


	9. Surgical Strike

I've been dealing with writer's block, schoolwork piling up, and some personal problems, so I haven't updated in close to 2 months. Thank you for all the support; this story now has close to 12,000 hits! I'm hoping the length at least somewhat makes up for the delay.

X X X X X X X X X X

December 1, 2260

Io colony

Sheridan got up from the bed in the quarters he was given on the military base. It was over 2,000 feet beneath the surface, able to endure multiple devastating attacks and still function. Nearly everything was powered by fusion reactors exported from Earth, with a minuscule amount coming from solar panels. It housed close to 300,000 Earthforce soldiers, and had enough food to keep them going for over a year.

It's main function, being established soon after contact with the Centauri was a refueling and resupply station. Io was a lousy candidate for terraforming, and would likely never be habitable by humans, but still proved useful in many ways. They repaired ships, hauled cargo, etc. And it was this place that Sheridan was now reassigned to.

He had been sent here less than a week after his time as a diplomatic in meeting with representatives from the Kirani Union, and his main job was to make sure everything went smoothly. Sheridan knew how to do the job, but he had to admit to himself, he had little patience for it. He much preferred being out in the field, commanding a ship to being a bureaucrat, much to his wife's dismay.

_I hope she gets back soon; I know this is a long-term find, but she is my wife. _Sheridan chuckled silently to himself as he remembered her reaction to him saying he preferred the field. Admittedly, he couldn't blame her too much, but he wasn't about to deny who he was. He worried the same way whenever she went on one of these expeditions.

From what Sheridan was told by superiors, they were upgrading the systems on his ship, which they did about every 3 to 4 years, working on the sensors, armor, weapons, etc. Based on that information, he knew he would likely be here at least another week.

He delayed as long as he could, but knew he had to get dressed. Outside Earth, it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to keep track of the time of day. Even with clocks to tell others the time, staring out into space for long periods of time messed with their minds. Sheridan did his best not to let it effect him, but it still wasn't easy.

He grabbed his cane and began pacing around the room. He never slept well anymore, not since the war. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an old photograph. True, he could simply have a video photograph where the person inside them moved, but there was a part of them that had a taste for old-fashioned things, or ancient things, as some would put it.

Inside the photograph was Elizabeth Lockley, a frame kept next to his wife and sister. The two of them had gotten together during their time at the academy and married after both of them had graduated. However, they quickly learned that was an unwise idea and divorced soon afterwards. Despite that, though, they managed to remain friends, even though they often got into heated arguments.

During the war, both of them were immediately ready to fight for the Earth Alliance, confident that they would defeat the Minbari just as they had the Dilgar 15 years earlier. When Earth sent their best fleet into Minbari space as a counterattack and they learned that everyone in the fleet was killed with the Minbari only enduring minimal losses, they realized the situation they were in.

When the Minbari struck at Earth, the ships they were commanding were under repair in the asteroid field, using shipyards that the enemy had not managed to find. Both of them fought together on the ground, Lockley placing herself under Sheridan's command. It surprised him, since she rarely yielded to him about anything, but they did well together resisting the enemy.

Unfortunately, a couple of months after the war, she disappeared. Sheridan felt that she was still alive and intended to rescue her, though she would have despised being considered a damsel in distress. Even after everything he had seen, what he saw when he finally did find her shocked him beyond description. She had been made a… slave. He still shuddered whenever he thought about it. It was the only time in his life where he had truly lost all sense of himself. He killed everyone who was involved, and freed her and the others who were taken.

He did what he could to help her, but there seemed to be nothing. In the past, with those sorts of cases, they often had telepaths lock away the memories, so it would not haunt them. While it was as exhausting and draining as police work, many more were willing to do it. But they were unable to find one and while he had mixed feelings on the practice before, it was different seeing the trauma with his own eyes.

All of them ended up committing suicide, even Lockley. She was the strongest person he knew, but even she was not able to endure what happened. He learned of similar cases on Earth, the victims usually being ones who had lost everyone to the Minbari. The people responsible were almost never taken alive, being shot on sight whenever they were found. Normally, Sheridan was a believer in Due Process, but with something so heinous… they got what they deserved.

He had her buried next to Elizabeth's gravestone, even though in the latter's case, there was no body. He felt that someone should remember her, that she should not die forgotten by everyone. Sheridan traced the frame with his fingers, shaking his head.

He took care of everything and walked out of the room, cane in hand. Hopefully, he would only have to spend time here for another few days. There was little to do in this place and he knew almost no one. A couple of soldiers spotted him and immediately saluted. He nodded and saluted back, continuing on his way.

The corridors of the base seemed endless, and he had gotten lost and needed to ask for directions more than once. Had he not been an officer, many of them would have likely called him an idiot, but as it was, nobody was foolish enough to do so. Even with the electronic device he was given on the first day, he still got turned around. A few tidbits of information on the device had proven to be incorrect.

Finally, he had gotten to the General's office. "Reporting as ordered, sir." Sheridan declared, standing up as straight as he could and saluting.

"At ease, Sheridan." Tyler Davenport stated, giving a salute of his own. His desk was decorated with the Earth Alliance flag, along with piles of paperwork.

"What can I do for you, General?" Sheridan asked.

"You can save me from the mountains of paperwork." Davenport smiled slightly. "No, Captain, I'd like you to accompany me. I'm having a surprise inspection today and I'd like you to oversee it."

"And what are you inspecting?"

"Everything; the reactor, the docks, the appearance of the soldiers… everything. It's going to take some time, and I'd like you to assist."

"Yes, sir." Sheridan nodded. "Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

"How do your men usually perform on a surprise inspection?"

"As a general rule, quite well. However, I prefer to keep them on their toes, so they never know when I might decide to hold a surprise inspection." Sheridan nodded to himself; he did the same thing on the Agamemnon. The first month he was on that ship was spent getting the crew into shape, especially the ones that seemed to be born incompetent. They walked out of the office, being saluted by every soldier they passed.

The first place they went was to the engine room, which was the most essential part of the base. The elevator took them there in a matter of seconds, where they observed dozens of men and women monitoring the equipment. Once they spotted him, they stopped what they were doing and saluted, many nervous but doing their best to hide it.

Neither of them said anything, merely looking around to see how well they were doing. Sheridan looked at the current amount of fuel in the fusion reactor, which was now down to 28 percent. It would have to be replenished in the next couple weeks. Davenport nodded to himself, walking through the area with his hands behind his back, face expressionless. The two of them walked out, pretending not to hear the deep breaths of the people behind them.

"That's one down, and another two to go." Davenport stated.

"General, when do you recommend we replenish the fuel in that reactor?" Sheridan asked. This wasn't exactly his favorite thing to be doing, but it seemed better than just sitting in his quarters, doing nothing.

"We replace it when it gets below 20 percent." Davenport explained. "There are four fusion reactors powering this place. If we have to, we can run on two, but I'm not about to take any chances. It takes close to half an hour to power down the reactor safely, and even longer to start it back up again. We try to be as self-sufficient as we can, but the bottom line is that we're dependent on resupply from Earth."

They walked to the second reactors in another room. This group seemed less busy, and a couple weren't paying attention to the instruments. Davenport wasn't saying anything now, but Sheridan could guess that there would be hell to pay in the future. This reactor was at 57 percent power, and so far, everything was going well.

While he was looking at the reactor, Sheridan paid attention to the ones running it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a couple decks of cards and chips. _Perhaps it was during their break, but they should still know better than to screw around when maintaining something as important as a fusion reactor. _Thankfully on his ship, even at the beginning, the reactors were well monitored. Some of them looked nervous, some confident, and a few indifferent.

After what seemed like a great deal of time, but was in actuality only a few minutes, he finished inspecting the instruments and walked out, still not saying a word. The remaining two rooms went in much the same way, while Sheridan fought to keep his mind from wandering. To him, almost everything seemed to be in order, although the last reactor would have to be refueled quite soon.

After they had finished with all four reactors, Davenport asked him: "So what did you think?"

"General, for the most part, I would have to say it was satisfactory." Sheridan answered. "However, the last reactor is nearly out of fuel with only 16 percent, and the first will also need to be refueled soon. I don't think it's a wise move to risk shutting two of them down at one time. We can do so individually, but that would be cutting it rather close. Based on the consumption rate, the fourth reactor will need to be refueled within the next 2 days, the first with 4."

"I'm glad I brought you along, then." Davenport stated. "I've come to a similar conclusion, but it's good to have a second opinion. The people running the second reactor didn't seem to be paying much attention. I've seen worse, but it's not up to my standards."

"I noticed a few games in the room. They were hidden, but not quite well enough, which tells me at least some of them are neglecting their duties and are trying to hide it from you. The people in the third reactors seem to be doing the best, with plenty of fuel and paying close attention to the monitors."

"The crew at the third reactor will definitely receive a good report. I haven't yet decided on the others. I know not all people of my rank do these inspections themselves, but you can only trust reports so far. Sometimes, you have to see it for yourself."

"Yes, sir." Sheridan stated simply. It wasn't that he didn't agree with him-in fact, he did the same thing on his ship- but there was not much to say to that. "Are you going to be the one writing the report, General?"

"Yes, but I'm also having a couple of others look over the reactor and give a report as well."

"May I suggest we refuel one of the reactors within the next few hours? I know none of them are quite low enough for that, but I wouldn't want to have to shut down two reactors over so short a period of time."

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea, Sheridan. I haven't quite decided on that, but it's definitely something to consider." Sheridan wasn't sure Davenport was going to follow his advice, but there was little he could do if he chose not to.

"I'm curious: assuming we were cut off from supply, how long could this base last?"

"We have enough fuel here to keep all four reactors going for approximately a month. If we had to stretch it and only use two, about twice that long. Food is not a problem, with the amount we're able to grow. It's the air recycling system. Although it would be a major inconvenience, we could survive without most of the machines near the surface, the elevators, and so on. Once the air recycling system goes, though, we wouldn't have more than a couple of weeks. Best case scenario: we would live about 4 months, if everything went well."

"Let's hope that doesn't happen, then." Sheridan knew what happened on Io during the last part of the war; the underground areas survived the minbari bombardment, but cut off from supplies, they ended up killing each other over what little remained. By the time they started receiving them again, nearly 85 percent of the personnel were dead. "Are you inspecting any other areas or just the fusion reactors?"

"Personally, I worry most about the reactors, but others look over the military equipment, the docks, the hydroponics garden, etc." They continued talking for another couple of minutes until Sheridan was dismissed.

He walked back into his room, thankfully without getting lost this time around. Sheridan heard rumors that the higher-ups had a bit of a surprise for him once his ship was finished. He spent a lot of time collecting information on secret organizations within the Earth Alliance, black operations, and other projects. While he could see the need for them now, unlike in the past, it still made him a little uncomfortable.

His thoughts drifted back to Anna. Alpha Omega 3 was beyond the rim in which the Earth Alliance had explored. They had sent telescopes through hyperspace, to map both dimensions, but this seemed different somehow. From what she told him, what they could find on this planet would help give them a major boost when it came to technology. There were many benefits, yes, but also risks involved. _I wonder if anything is alive where they're going. _His connections had told him that there was a slight possibility, but nobody knew for sure.

X X X X X X X X X X

December 1, 2260

Ganymede

Sinclair smiled to himself as the training session ended. While he was able to take down 3 of his opponents, the remaining two managed to defeat him. Had this been real, he would have had no time to use the escape pod. _I've trained them quite well; given time, my students will be able to hold their own against any opponent._

He had taught them the Thach Weave, something developed during the Second World War to defend against and destroy superior aircraft. Every time he was about to take down one of his opponents, two more of them appeared, forcing him to fly evasive. They still had some to learn, but in the beginning, they were unable to defeat him even at a dozen to 1. This time, five of them managed a victory with him flying a superior starfury.

He had to admit, it was quite impressive, considering that he was using a Thunderbolt while the cadets were given Minbari war era Auroras. They were once the top of the line fighters, given to only select veterans, but now they were just a hot training vehicle. Even in spite of the safety measures, among groups of cadets, there were always a couple of them who died in accidents, usually collisions.

It was a cadet's dream to be able to join Sinclair's squadrons, but only a couple of them would manage to get that far. His reputation as a fighter pilot equaled his father's. He was the only surviving ace of the Earth-Minbari war, totaling around 23 kills over 2 years. A couple of others surpassed him, but he was the only one still alive.

He walked into his quarters, looking forward to reading Tennyson before going to bed, but he found a man waiting inside his quarters. Sinclair did not know who this was, and his first instinct was to go for his PPG, but he quieted that urge. It wouldn't do to shoot another in Earthforce. _Suppose these instincts are likely going to be permanent. _"Who are you?" Sinclair asked.

"I've been sent here to meet with you." the man replied. He had a strange accent, but Sinclair couldn't quite place it. "I've wanted to meet you for a long time, Commander; your skills as a pilot are legendary."

"Who are you?" Sinclair asked.

"You greatly resemble your father. I knew him a long time ago and held great respect for him."

"Who are you?" Sinclair noticed something brief, a strange shimmer, one so brief he was almost convinced that his eyes were playing tricks on him. The man smiled and pressed a button. His appearance turned out to be only a hologram. The one standing before him was obviously not human, and it took Sinclair several seconds to realize what species he was. "A Dilgar?"

"I see we've still got quite a reputation. My name is Ari'shan, former ace of Jha'dur's fleet." Ari'shan was close to 60 humans years old, and some of his hair was grey, but he still held much of his old strength.

Sinclair immediately went for his weapon, pointing it has his chest. His mind was screaming at him to fire, but he held back. Despite his species, he appeared to be unarmed, and there was no honor in killing someone who was unarmed and did not make any move to attack. "How is this possible? I thought your species was extinct!"

"Not so loud, please. I'd rather my presence go unnoticed."

"Why are you here?"

"Simple: because Earthforce command has asked me to assist in training your pilots. The hologram is meant to allow me to do so without attracting attention. After all, if the League found out there are a few of us still alive, they would likely finish us off."

"How did any of you live? I thought the Dilgar went extinct after your sun went nova."

"Most of my kind did die, but a few survived. A couple months before our star exploded, a few found out what was about to happen. It was a top secret project, with the humans, Abbai, and Hyach deciding to evacuate as many of us as they could. They had very little time, so they were only able to save about 2 million of us. Most were young children, ones that had not been as thoroughly indoctrinated by propaganda and they hoped we would be able to improve, to do something productive for others.

"We were relocated to our new home, and I become the one in charge of running it, along with a few EIA operatives. It was difficult and some died, but now… we're doing quite well."

"Where were you relocated?" Sinclair had heard of Ari'shan; his father spoke of him often. According to him, Ari'shan was one of the few Dilgar with ethics, who actually had a conscience.

"Someplace out of the way, so a vengeful League fleet would not find and exterminate us."

"And they want you to help train our pilots?"

"I was among the best of the Dilgar aces, and I much prefer being a pilot to being a leader. It seems to be what I was born to do. I even flew a few missions against the Minbari, helping to raid their supply lines. Their tactics were little more than a joke. Besides, even if we were enemies 30 years ago, times have changed; as have we."

"How do you speak our language?"

"Almost all of us do; our native language is all but dead. The children grew up speaking it and all but the oldest have forgotten it. Tragic, but preferable to extinction. I know I can't expect to earn your trust immediately, but over time, I think I'll prove to be quite useful." Sinclair processed his words. He was known as a skilled pilot and he highly doubted Earth would give him this role if they suspected him of doing anything treacherous, but on the other hand, he was the adopted brother of Deathwalker herself, so the two sides of his mind conflicted.

"You know, someone who is observant enough may see through that disguise of ours."

"Yes, it's far from perfect, but much better than showing up as I am. If I did, I don't think I'd last 10 seconds." By now, Ari'shan even sounded and acted human. "What kind of training methods do you use?"

"Simulations are a major part of it."

"I'm not sure that's a wise idea. They can only take you so far. Eventually, your cadets are going to need some real experience."

"I'm aware of that. Eventually, I test them; I pit a group of them against me, and at least one of them has to survive in order to win. They are not allowed to use targeting sensors and their spacecraft are inferior to my own. I believe it is a suitable test."

"So you are training them to fight the Minbari? Likely a wise idea; if your pilots are able to defeat them, no one else has a chance against your fleet. Humans won the war not through technology, but through skill; your starfuries truly are an amazing design."

"And we've improved them quite a bit over time. Faster, stronger armor, more firepower, stronger countermeasures…. We've even got some that are atmosphere capable." Sinclair both wanted to impress and warn him. If there was a chance that the remaining Dilgar wished to launch an attack, he wanted to make sure they knew the consequences of such an action.

"Which means I greatly look forward to this assignment. I wonder if I could defeat you; your father and I dueled several times, before he finally managed to defeat me, although his fury crashed into a planet in the process. Even among your kind, I never faced a more skilled opponent."

"Perhaps, but he died at Beta Durani during the war. I learned a lot from him." That had been a bitter blow of the war. Even if they had managed to repel the Minbari, it came at an extremely high price.

Ari'shan reactivated the hologram. There were occasional shimmers of light, but other than that, it was a perfect disguise. "As did I; I'm going to enjoy teaching your students everything."

Sinclair gave a slight smirk. "And then you'll learn what a true ace can do." He didn't know why, but he seemed always drawn to him, Dilgar or not. He was a fellow pilot and veteran; they could relate to one another.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Take it however you wish."

Ari'shan grinned widely. "We'll see which of us is more skilled when all other things are equal." He desperately wanted to try the new furies. There were some on the colony, but they were old, built almost 20 human years ago. From all indications, they would be no match for current human fighters.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you. If I think for a moment that you're attempting anything, I'll bring you in." At the moment, Sinclair didn't think it all that lightly, but he had to be absolutely sure. He seemed to be sincere in his intentions, but he was still a Dilgar.

"That's what I expected." He stuck out his hand. After hesitating for a couple seconds, Sinclair shook it.

X X X X X X X X X X

December 2, 2260

Earth Minbari border

Throughout the regions of hyperspace, a lone ship was floating through, one that would strike fear into the hearts of all races. It was close to its destination, its crew determined to pull it off.

After the end of the war, the Trigati disappeared, along with a few other Minbari cruisers. They resented the Grey Council for making peace with the humans, considering it a humiliating concession. _The humans should have been exterminated. _Sineval thought. _We had the power, and the right to do so. They are a danger to the galaxy and must be dealt with._

Even though they were technically cut off from the rest of Minbari society, they still received reports from them and occasional repairs. The Trigati crew was a hero by many for leading the strike on Vega colony. They watched as the humans retook each one of their colonies, the Minbari not having the willpower to keep them confined.

"Is the stealth system activated?" Sineval asked.

"Yes, Alyt Sineval." Thain replied. "Weapons system is activated and we will reach our destination in approximately 2 standard minutes." Each one of the crew members had a slight amount of nervousness, but this was something that had to be done and none of them would shrink from their duty.

Finally, they had gotten to their destination and activated their engines, jumping back into normal space. The scanners picked up a human base in the distance, along with a couple of their fleetships. This system had no planets, only a star, so it was somewhat out of the way for them.

"Time to target?" Sineval wondered.

"Approximately 10 standard minutes."

X X X X X X X X X X X

EAS Thatcher

Ensign Daisuke Sato spent most of his time watching the area. They had been there for over a month, protecting the starbase. Their primary purpose was to make sure that nobody caught them by surprise. By itself, the position had little value. An unimportant star, with no planets surrounding it, but its value came from being close to the Minbari border.

He clicked on the scanners again. There was something weird going on. _It seems like a computer glitch… almost. _He ran the standard checks to find anything wrong with the program; all of them turned up negative. Sato left his seat and went to report to the commander.

"Ensign, is there anything to report?" Captain Victoria Whatley asked. She was in her mid 30's, and held a hard look in her eyes. Like many others in Earthforce, she was a soldier during the siege of Earth. Unlike some, she never discussed it, never talked about it.

"The scanners are reporting something." Sato replied. "At first, I thought it was just a computer glitch, but I ran the standard checks, and it's still there." She walked with him to the console and watched as he ran the checks again, taking about 20 seconds. "It's still there."

"It could still be a glitch, but I'm not about to take chances with my ship." Langley stated. "Activate electronic countermeasures and maximum power on the scanners. Notify the Roanoke, see if it's occurring on their ship as well." The crew hastened to do as they were told.

"Captain, the scanners are picking up something." another crewman told her. "It's still faint, but it's there and definitely coming towards us."

"Activate weapons systems." She ordered. This was not an especially new occurrence; they had a false alarm once every couple of weeks. The last time, it was a group of Drazi pirates who miscalculated the time to their destination and were swiftly brought to justice. They even avoided a diplomatic incident, since this group had been hunted by the Drazi and others for some time.

The Roanoke turned to a 30 degree angle, all its weapons activated, just as on the Thatcher. "Captain, we've identified the source; it's coming from a Minbari Cruiser!" Sato said in alarm. He hated the Minbari as much as anyone on Earth, but he knew what they could do. His sister and best friend died during the kamikaze strike on Beta Durani. While it bought them over a month of time to fortify their remaining defenses, it was still little comfort to him.

"ETA to contact: 3 standard minutes." Commander O'Henry mentioned. Elaine was only 28, having rapidly been promoted to commander through both connections in the Earth Alliance and her competence. She was one of the lucky ones, having lost no one close during the war. "We're not getting much more than a silhouette at this range."

"Are their weapons activated?" Langley asked.

"We can't tell at this distance; once they get closer, we should be able to figure it out." O'Henry declared. What was left unsaid was that if the Minbari had come here with hostile intent, they may not know until too late. While their scanners had improved greatly over the last decade, they still had a long way to go before they can really crack the Minbari stealth.

Whatley searched for a decision. She highly doubted that they had come here by coincidence. However, if she gave the order to fire the first shot, the Minbari government would claim that it was an unprovoked attack and there was a strong possibility that they would launch another war. Even now, she knew that wasn't a fight they could win, more than likely.

X X X X X X X X X X

"Alyt, the humans are altering formation." Thain mentioned. "They have also activated electronic countermeasures." According to their ship, the new human countermeasures were stronger than they had expected. 12 years ago, they could have easily locked on to their ships at this range, well beyond which the humans could accurately reply. Now they could only achieve a partial lock.

Sineval uttered a curse under his breath. "They know we're here. It is too late to turn back now; continue approaching." He held his breath, feeling a small amount of fear in spite of the fact that he knew that a true warrior should never be afraid of anything.

"Activate weapons systems and launch fighters." He ordered. He was hoping to be able to simply complete his mission at long range, but that was no longer an option.

"There is a communication coming through; should I allow it?" Thain asked. Sineval thought for several moments, then gave the affirmative. A human appeared on the screen, saying something that neither of them understood. Judging from the tone, though, the female was very unhappy.

Sineval grinned to himself. _Just wait, human; just a little longer and you'll learn to respect our power._

X X X X X X X X X X

"Captain, they are activating weapons systems." Sato gasped. All he wanted was to finish this tour and go home, not end up in a fight.

"Fighters are being launched." said another crewman.

"Launch our own fighters." Whatley ordered. "Red alert; prepare for the worst!" She patched in again to the Cruiser. "Minbari ship, you are intruding in Earth Alliance space. Withdraw or consider this an act of war. I repeat, withdraw at once." The pilots were scrambling to get into their fighters on both Omegas.

"They should be in optimum firing range in less than one minute." O'Henry informed.

However, they had less than that. The Minbari Cruiser had already opened fire with its main guns. A couple shots went wild, but the ones that hit sent sparks flying all over the bridge. So far though, their armor was holding. "Return fire; hit them with everything we have!" The two ships attempted to catch their enemy in a crossfire, launching their main beam weapons, along with everything else that they could use.

Unfortunately, at this range, it was extremely difficult to lock on to their target. Even so, some of the shots hit their mark, explosions rocking the Minbari ship. Another beam of energy hit the front of the Thatcher, knocking everyone who was standing down to the ground.

"Get closer to their ship!" Whatley ordered. Their engines were activated and speeding towards their enemy, more of their shots hitting the Minbari.

X X X X X X X X X X

"They shouldn't be able to lock onto us at this range!" Sineval exclaimed. Soon after the battle began, he realized that this mission was not going to be as easy as the Wind Swords believed it would be. The Sharlin shook as it was hit by the humans' main guns, burning through the hull. So far, it was holding, but he knew that would not last indefinitely.

One of the human ships was burning noticeably, but was far from defeated. "Alyt Sineval, what are your orders?" Thain asked.

"Quite simple; to reduce these ships to particles scattering throughout the galaxy." He grinned. Improved technology or not, the humans were not going to defeat him. The Omegas were doing their best to avoid the shot, managing to escape some of their firepower, but they could lock on to the humans more easily than the other way around.

On the screen, he observed a couple of bright dots blowing up in a flash of light, obviously the fighters. "Were those human fighters or Minbari?" He asked.

"Our scanners are busy targeting the human ships; we can't tell at the moment." Thain informed, bowing his head in shame.

"If they were ours, they died with honor. If they were human, they deserved much worse." The human's main weapons hit the Sharlin again, burning the port side of the ship. By now, one of their ships was losing power, but stubbornly it still approached.

As the range decreased, more and more of the Earth weapons hit their target. The hull of the Sharlin had suffered considerable damage and after this was over, would likely take some time to repair. More bright lights were seen in space, a sideshow to the main event.

One of the human ships began to slow down, indicating weakness. "Launch everything we have at the port ship!" Sineval ordered. The Sharlin turned around slightly to bring all its weapons to bear at the wounded Omega. A few shots went off, but most hit their mark. They overwhelmed the ship, destroying most of it; despite all the firepower hitting it, though, it still managed to damage the Minbari hull further.

While they managed to eliminate one of their opponents, the Trigati paid a price for their victory. The other human ship moved in even closer and disabled the scanners, making the Minbari fire blindly. "Turn around and smash them!" Sineval ordered. "We are not about to retreat from humans!" While a couple of the crew questioned his wisdom to themselves, they were not about to disobey.

X X X X X X X X X X

Sato briefly bowed his head at the less of the Roanoke; over 400 people dead because of those Minbari bastards. _Hopefully, we can take it out of their hide! They can't take much more of this; we've got them! _

The Minbari stealth was beginning to falter, both because of the pounding the Earth ships had given it and because they were now at close range where it didn't make too much of a difference. "Aim the main guns at their engines!" Whatley exclaimed. The beam weapons glowed red, and impacted against the side of the Sharlin, doing an unknown amount of harm to their ship.

Unfortunately, not everyone was as lucky as he was. In the explosions, several on the bridge were dead, including O' Henry, who had broken her neck on the railing. Both sides were in similar condition, as they watched another Minbari fighter overwhelmed and destroyed. _Win or lose, these bastards aren't buying anything cheap today. _

X X X X X X X X X X

"Alyt Sineval, they're damaged the jump drives!" One of his crew exclaimed. "Even after we win this fight, it'll likely take over a day to repair it!" One of their main guns was disabled as well, reducing the firepower they could aim at their enemy. The hull was breached in several places, sending some of the crew into the vacuum of space and forcing them to seal off the areas.

However, the Thatcher was in a similar condition. While its main guns were still functioning, some of the smaller ones were not. "They have disabled our stealth systems!" Thain reported. "The hull breaching in multiple places, many of our crew dead; there is an area near the aft of the ship that we cannot seal. I estimate we will run out of air in approximately 13 standard minutes."

The fight only lasted for a few more seconds. The Thatcher finally gave out under Minbari firepower, blowing to pieces while the Nials hunted down any straggling starfuries. "How long will it take to seal the hulls?" Sineval asked, dreading the answer. He was reading the computer report. The jump drive was malfunctioning, the stealth disabled, and multiple breaches of the hull that they would not be able to seal in time. They could send a distress signal, but any rescue ships would arrive far too late.

To add to his anger, the human starbase was untouched. The plan was to wipe it out and whatever ships they had to protect it. It seemed a simple enough task at the time, but it turned out to not be so simple after all. Sineval took a deep breath, resigning himself to what was going to happen. "Are any of the weapons still active?" he asked.

"Yes, one of our main guns is still capable of fighting, and our engines still have some power." Thain responded.

"Take us towards the starbase." Sineval ordered. "If we are not going to survive, we can make sure the others will join us in death!" They moved as fast as they could muster, and they gradually got into range. The weapons on the starbase began to fire, as did the Minbari weapons that were still functional. They burned the base, but it was surprisingly resistant to their attacks. At the range they were currently at, their stealth was still effective, but even so, a few shots made their mark and that was all it took. A beam smashed into the last main gun, obliterating it in a flash of plasma. Their engines gave out, their weapons were down; now they were nothing more than a giant target._ Even if we did not completely succeed, the humans will lose. They cannot hope to defeat us even now; it will be finished this time. _

X X X X X X X X X X

December 3, 2260

Minbar

Delenn walked into her home, where her friend Shaal Mayan was waiting. Currently, she was despised by the Grey Council, who considered her a traitor for what she revealed. _I didn't even reveal the worst of it. _She thought to herself. _Whatever the failings of the people above me, they should not have to suffer for it. _

However, the images of Minbari atrocities that she did reveal caused widespread chaos. In their daily lives, the Minbari trusted the Grey Council and the acolytes, believing they knew what was best for all of their people. While they still strongly held to that belief, they did not trust them like they had just weeks previous.

She, Mayan, and Neroon had gotten into a tachyon communications center and produced some of their crimes throughout the planet. Delenn knew what was likely to happen to her. She would be disgraced, perhaps even killed. The official law was that Minbari did not kill Minbari and that no one had broken that rule since Valen, she knew that it was untrue. The Denn'sha challenge was lethal, but it was not seen by Minbari society as murder, since they died in honorable combat.

After they had done so, they were rapidly taken into custody. Due to his prestige, Neroon was released quickly, although his credibility was still damaged. Her and Mayan, however, were held for some time. The leaders of their clan were furious with them, saying that they would never recover from such a disgrace.

It had caused a heated discussion among many Minbari. Even now, many dismissed it as propaganda and pitied Delenn for believing "human deception". Others believed that at least some of it was true and began to lose the trust they once held. A few believed that it was only the tip of the iceberg, as the humans liked to say, and thought it was far worse than what was shown. _Most of them couldn't imagine how terrible it is. _

Ever since the war, their morality had corroded. What was considered taboo in the past had began to surface. There were reports of Minbari lying to one another, deceiving each other. It happened, most knew it did, but now it was done openly. With the heated discussion, deception, and for a minuscule amount, theories that the Grey Council were dictators, they failed to realize just how human they were acting.

"Why did you help us, Neroon?" Delenn asked the last time they had seen each other.

"Regrettably not for the same reasons that you did." Neroon has told her. "Most of the warrior caste simply dismiss the humans, believe that they are still too shattered to pose a threat. From the reports that I have read, I believe differently. Our people need to understand that they hate us; whether they have reason to is beside the point. We need to be prepared. Our society has been declining in strength since the last Shadow War, while they are only growing in power. I know you do not agree with me, Delenn, but I do not believe this is over. They had 6 fleets at the start of the last war; they now have 8 and ones more advanced than in the past. In Valen's name, I hope I am incorrect, but the possibility must be considered."

From a logical standpoint, Delenn knew he was correct. Why would they want to have anything to do with them after everything? She occasionally overheard Wind Swords discussing and bragging about what they had done during the war. The sound of their gloating voices made her want to both attack them and break down. Such behavior was unbecoming in a Minbari, even if she had been a child, but she found herself caring less and less as time went on.

What she worried about most of all, though, were the Shadows. They had to be moving, gathering their forces just as they had before. Out of the First Ones that had helped last time, only the Vorlons remained. In addition, the Minbari didn't have anywhere near the kind of strength now that they did 1000 standard years ago. Their population was twice as large, and after the Vorlons gave them their current ships as gifts, their fleet was considerably stronger than it was now. _How are we to win, even with the Vorlons on our side? _

Delenn and Mayan sat there in silence; they had known each other too long for words to always be necessary. Both of them currently had similar thoughts. She heard the door vibrate. Mayan got up to open the door, but Delenn stopped her; this could be a trap. _A trap? Could I possibly be thinking that way? Has my opinion of our people really gotten so low? _

She opened the door and saw Lennier; she opened her mouth in surprise. "Greetings, Delenn." Lennier stated, folding his hands and bowing slightly. "Am I permitted to enter your home?"

"Of course." Delenn smiled. Lennier always managed to cheer her up, even in a dismal mood, which was all too frequent now. "Why are you here? I thought your clan had forbidden you to make contact with me."

"They did, but my loyalty is to you." Lennier replied. "I have sworn myself to your side, even if my clan disapprove."

Delenn was highly flattered and at the same time concerned. Rebellion seemed to become more and more common in recent years after the war. The humans had influenced them more than she suspected. Even if they had succeeded in destroying them, it would likely have been the case. "Why are you here?" Mayan asked.

"Unfortunately, I am not here to bring pleasant news." Lennier sighed. "Have you seen the latest reports?"

"No, I have not." Delenn replied. "What has happened?"

"The Grey Council has not revealed this yet, but there has been an attack." Lennier responded. Although he was a relatively low level member of the Religious Caste, he knew many people, some a lot higher than he was who gave him information. "The Trigati went into human space and from the reports, a battle erupted between them and the humans. Two of their fleetships were destroyed."

"In Valen's name!" Mayan exclaimed. "How could this have happened?"

"We are at peace; why would they do such a thing?" What little hope she had for reconciliation between humans and Minbari was dying. If the reports was true, hundreds of humans were now dead. What would their response be? Until her trip to Earth, she did not understand just how much the humans hated them. At least some of them would want to restart the war. _Can anything be done to stop this, to try and heal the wounds both of us share?_

"Are they attempting to find the crew of the Trigati?" Mayan asked.

"No, that has proven to be unnecessary." Lennier explained. "The human ships had apparently crippled it too badly for it to survive and it was impossible for a rescue to reach them in time."

"Who fired first?" Mayan asked.

"The information I have received is unclear; I don't think anyone knows at the moment." Lennier replied. "It will take time to sort everything out. I do not understand how they were able to hurt the Trigati badly enough for it to be left dead. Their technology has advanced more than I suspected." The signal they had received from the Trigati soon before the battle began was weak and unclear; it was nearly impossible to decipher.

"Do you think a war will begin over this?" Delenn asked.

"I think it unwise to come to a conclusion at this time." He replied.

"Do you?" Delenn pressed. She dreaded the answer, but it was better than not knowing. _Please let their be some trace of hope. In Valen's name, tragedy cannot repeat itself!_

"Yes, I believe it will." Unlike many, Lennier appreciated and recognized the growing threat. He did not want a war, but part of him felt that it would be best to have one now rather than if and when the humans grew strong enough to beat them. His Aunt and Second Cousin died on the Black Star, courtesy of Starkiller.

Afterwards, Starkiller had laid a trap, seeding the asteroids with nuclear weapons. When other ships showed up to find the Black Star, the weapons were detonated. Even if the weapons themselves would not have been enough to destroy them, the hastily activated jump engines would have sealed their fate. 3 Warcruisers were destroyed, with 7 of them damaged, a couple badly enough where they took months to fully repair.

He would not speak of this to Delenn; she was troubled enough, even more so after the trip to Earth. Lennier had some idea what she saw, but he respected her too much to pry when it was obviously not something she wanted to mention to him. _It wouldn't surprise me if the humans fired first. They seem to have quite the reputation for that. I don't know why they would be in human space in the first place, but I doubt they would be given any warning._

"Let's hope we can avoid it." Mayan tried to reassure her friend. "After all, they may not even know about this yet, which gives us some time to formulate a response."

"And likely gives us time to prepare." Delenn added. "If things do break down, we cannot be taken off-guard." Delenn shuddered internally; she hated even thinking about the possibility. There was one other possibility, more horrifying than anything else, but she knew it had an unpleasant ring of truth to it. The Grey Council were likely deliberating on what to do. Hopefully, they would decide to enter negotiations rather than go to war, though she knew Morann at least would be pushing for the latter option. There was still so much they did not know, not even who fired the first shot.

"It is possible that they will want you to help with the negotiations." Lennier added. "Your credibility has been badly wounded, but there are some who still support you. Even if they care little for you personally, they are aware of your intelligence."

"If I am offered such a task, I will of course accept." Delenn nodded. She dearly hoped that she would get it, however distasteful the concept was. She dearly hoped that hostilities would not break out again. Their benevolence, their belief to be kind had burned in the war, consumed by madness and blood; the humans responded in kind.

"If you have the job, if anyone can prevent a war, it would be you." Mayan smiled at her friend. Delenn tried to smile back, but could not. Events were spiraling down and she currently failed to see a way out.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

As always, please read and review. Obviously, Ari'shan belongs to Lord of Misrule and not me, as does the trap I mention in Lennier's thoughts. I highly recommend you read the story, however long it might be.

Okay, these are just some random details about the history in the Babylon 5 timeline. They're not too important and I'm just putting them here randomly. You can read them if you're interested or just skip to the review button.

World population 2010: 6.88 billion

World population 2020: 7.63 billion

World population 2030: 8.26 billion

World population 2040: 8.5 billion

World population 2050: 9.09 billion

World population 2060: 9.12 billion

World population 2070: 8.93 billion

World population 2080: 8.44 billion

World population 2090: 8.42 billion

World population 2100: 8.31 billion

World population 2110: 8.19 billion

World population 2120: 8.11 billion

World population 2130: 8.02 billion

World population 2140: 7.94 billion

World population 2150: 7.81 billion 2155: Mars colony founded

Human population 2160: 8.1 billion Mars Population: 5,500

Human population 2170: 8.43 billion Mars population: 14,000

Human population 2180: 8.59 billion Mars population: 43,000

Human population 2190: 8.82 billion Mars population: 104,000

Human population 2200: 8.97 billion Mars population: 213,000

Human population: 2210: 9.21 billion Mars population: 754,500

Human population 2220: 9.45 billion Mars population: 943,000

Human population 2230: 9.64 billion Mars population: 1.145 million

Human population 2240: 10.02 billion Mars population: 1.64 million

Human population 2250: 7.36 billion Mars population: 3.94 million

Human population 2260: 7.24 billion Mars population: 44.8 million

Proxima 3 founded in 2164 Beta Durani founded in 2168

Proxima 3 population 2170: 9,000 Beta Durani population 2170: 5,500

Proxima 3 population: 2180: 31,000 Beta Durani population 2180: 13,000

Proxima 3 population 2190: 65,000 Beta Durani population 2190: 62,500

Proxima 3 population 2200: 170,000 Beta Durani population 2200: 145,000

Proxima 3 population 2210: 513,000 Beta Durani population 2210: 460,000

Proxima 3 population 2220: 856,000 Beta Durani population 2220: 765,000

Proxima 3 population 2230: 1.12 million Beta Durani population 2230: 1.09 million

Proxima 3 population 2240: 1.67 million Beta Durani population 2240: 1.8 million

Proxima 3 population 2250: 1.21 million Beta durani population 2250: 1.32 million

Proxima 3 population 2260: 35.2 million Beta Durani population 2260: 75 million

X X X X X X X X X X X

Vega Colony founded in 2178

Vega colony in 2180: 7,700

Vega colony 2190: 14,000

Vega Colony 2200: 66,000

Vega Colony 2210: 115,000

Vega Colony 2220: 284,000

Vega Colony 2230: 532,000

Vega Colony 2240: 1.03 million

Vega Colony 2250: 702,000

Vega Colony 2260: 19.4 million

The core of the Earth Alliance has slightly more than a dozen colonies, and expands about 55 light years in every direction. It includes Proxima, Durani, Vega, the Orion colonies, Flynn colony, Omega 7, Beta colony, Sinzar, Signet, and Cooke. Each of the core colonies had a population of over one million humans; now they have at least 12 In addition, there are another two dozen outer less important colonies, some as far as several hundred light years away from Earth. They are often named after Earth cities or provinces, like "New California" "New London" "New America" "Delphi colony" and so on. Before the war, they had populations from a few thousands to a few hundred thousand. Our population has also moved into the Markab colonies, numbering around 8, making them a minority in their own territory. Technically, they still belong to them, but in no more than name.

Out of all our colonies, only Beta Durani is similar to Earth, except to some extent one of the Beta Colonies. Other than those, the rest of the planets are ones we have to live on artificially, or that just a small part of them are habitable, even with the rapid increase in terraforming currently going on.

Even in stars that have no planets, we have supply bases, fleetships, training grounds, and other artificial colonies, composing close to a million people, mostly Earthforce and infantry. Approximately 380 million humans live outside of Earth, compared to around 15 million before the Earth-Minbari war. That number is expected to grow rapidly.


	10. Fear and Hatred

Before I start writing, I'd just like to think Nairda for being willing to listen to my ideas and giving suggestions for ways that I can improve them.

Hammerchuckery: You'll have to wait and see just what the results of this incident will be. War isn't something to get into lightly. I must admit, I've never heard of the Asari, so I can't make the comparison.

Nyt Yanse: Yes, the Minbari are very arrogant and often hypocritical; you saw that even in the show. Lockley's fate was probably the grisliest of all the B5 characters. Needless to say, the ones responsible were obviously not taken alive.

Orionastro: you're assuming Earth is willing to make any kind of alliance with the Minbari. We despise them, and few Minbari understand the extent of that hatred.

John777: Yes, they could grant it, assuming of course that human scientists are able to understand the technology.

X X X X X X X X X X

December 10, 2260

Moscow

"Jeez, Alex, you're awake already?" Thomas wondered, rubbing his eyes. "I still feel like sleeping for another few hours… or days."

"I haven't been able to sleep." Alex admitted. Since the incident, he had been worrying about what was going to happen because of the Minbari incident. His eyes were still in his book.

"So what exactly are you reading?" Thomas asked.

"Book on Greek mythology; I'm currently reading about the Judgment of Paris. It's actually kind of interesting." Thomas took the book out of his hands, looking over the story. Alex glared, tempted to shove him to the ground and take it back.

"Paris has to be the stupidest human around. Actually taking sides when women are arguing? Is he out of his mind?" Thomas couldn't resist a laugh at the story. Alex took the opportunity to snatch the book out of his hand.

"Yeah, I know. Zeus was probably pretty smart when he decided to stay out of it. You ever been in that situation?"

"Yep, more than once. Course, one time was when two girls found out I was seeing them at the same time. They were yelling at me and at each other. I decided to get out of there while I still could."

"I'm surprised they didn't turn around and try to kill you. Can't say you wouldn't have had it coming."

"Nope, I managed to convince each of them that I dumped the other. It stayed peaceful for quite a while. One of the girls, man I tell you, best lay I've ever had."

"Yeah, and how did they not figure out you lied to him?" People like this drove him crazy when he was in school. Still, however much he disapproved, it seemed better than talking about what was going on out there. He felt slightly queasy just thinking about it.

"Neither of them were what you call smart. I know people would disagree with me, but school was great. Hated the work, and the teachers were boring as shit, but had tons of friends. How about you? You manage to get lucky with someone?"

"Nope, never had a girlfriend."

"That isn't necessarily a no."

"Ha-ha." Alex repeated dryly. "The answer is no." That wasn't entirely true, but he wasn't about to tell Thomas that. "I'm just as well pleased to be out of that damned place. At least in Boot Camp, everyone was suffering the way I was. How many girlfriends have you had?"

"Let's see; had my first girlfriend when I was 12, get lucky when I was 14, dated someone for a year…. Can't remember all of them… I've had 10 girlfriends and got lucky with 7 of them. One of them enjoyed the hell out of…"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Alex cut him off. He didn't exactly want all the details of his love life. _Maybe it's jealousy, ha ha. _Said a voice in his head.

"Jeez, you're acting like a priest or something. You're supposed to be as perverted as I am."

"Hey, it's not me, but… you like anyone in our platoon?"

"Well, Amanda's hot, but she isn't interested in me. Good pair on her, though, and she hasn't caught me looking."

"I wondered why you were still around."

"Maria seems interested in me, but I'm not sure about her. Maybe I can check around the civilians. I look pretty damn good in a uniform."

"Lieutenant Chang finds out, he'll kick your ass for it." Alex warned. "You know what the orders about fraternizing with civilians."

"Damn, you're a prude. Have you ever had any fun in your life?"

"Yes, I have fun; it's just different than what you consider fun."

"Reading? You need to have some real fun. Can't you use those holo-books, instead of paper? Besides, that's actually worth money now; not a lot of trees left."

"Hey, some of this stuff is pretty interesting."

"Maybe, but you still need to have some real fun. Next chance I get, I'm taking you out on the town and finding you a girl; won't be hard when you're wearing that uniform. It's a great… what do you call it?"

"Aphrodisiac."

"I was going to say girl magnet, but I guess that works. You sound like a professor."

"Thanks, Thomas."

"Didn't mean it that way; just need to relax and let loose a little bit, buddy. How about this as well: I'll let you know if any girls here have an interest in you and introduce you."

"Okay, thank you." Alex replied, having no intention of taking him up on that offer. The last time someone agreed to "help" him, it turned out to be nothing more than a giant laugh at his expense. He wasn't about to fall for something like that again.

Thomas turned around and saw Ta'kani still snoring on the couch, getting an idea. Before Alex could warn him against it, he put his face right next to his and poked him until he started waking up. His eyes were blurry, and he screamed in surprise and fear, grabbing his body and punching him in the gut, knocking him down to the ground. Thomas had the breath knocked out of him as he clutched his stomach, unable to move more than a few inches.

"I was trying to tell you not to do that." Alex sighed, shaking his head. "We don't exactly come from a good neighborhood and Narns are considerably stronger than humans. You're lucky he didn't kill you."

"That was just a joke?" Ta'kani, starting to be aware of his surroundings. "I thought it was someone who came in here to attack us."

"Not a burglar or gang member, just an idiot." Alex explained. "You're lucky to be alive, you know."

"Sorry about that….Thomas." Ta'Kani apologized. "Where we live, you have to be ready to defend yourself at a moment's notice. Are you all right?"

"I should… be fine." Thomas wheezed. They heard someone else walk into the barracks.

"Hey, it's our turn to go out and patrol." Angela informed them. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Oh, Tom's just learned why it's a bad idea to startle a Narn." Alex replied. "Ta'Kani's the reason I wasn't beaten up on a daily basis in school. Can you walk, pal?"

Thomas tried to pick himself up and fell to the floor. The two of them hauled him up, while he wrapped his arms around their shoulders. "Damn, man. If we have to fight the Minbari, you're going to kick their asses!" Thomas chuckled weakly, coughing.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Angela stated. "Earth has already been devastated; I don't think we could survive a second attack."

"Maybe not now, but one day, I'd like to give them what they deserve." Alex snarled. They continued walking, while Thomas slowly got his breath back. Their orders were simply to patrol the city, make sure they didn't have a problem with criminals. Some soldiers had already gotten into gunfights with gangs who ruled certain neighborhoods and did not want to give them up. They were defeated relatively quickly, but caused several casualties and one death.

"You guys ever have to shoot anyone?" Thomas asked.

"No, though a couple weeks ago, someone tried to mug us." Alex replied. "Needless to say, he learned that was an unwise idea. It was tempting to kill him, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Hope I don't end up regretting that."

"Hey, we're soldiers, not murderers." Angela declared. "These are our own people. Still, considering the state of this city, little wonder they called us in. Makes me glad I don't live here."

"So who did you lose in the Minbari war?" Alex blurted out. It wasn't a guarantee, but a good guess; most people currently living on Earth lost someone, even if it was someone they weren't especially close to.

Angela glared, but decided to answer. "I lost my grandpa to one of those asteroids they sent flying towards Earth. He lived in Sydney and died along with nearly everyone else who lived there."

"Both my parents were dead." Alex replied. "My dad died at the Battle of the Line. I'm reminded of it; everywhere I go, I see stone walls honoring those who sacrificed their lives. Maybe he died a hero, but that doesn't matter to me; I'd rather have a living father than a dead hero. My mom died in the bombardment shortly afterwards. We were supposed to get on a transport, but something went wrong and they wouldn't let us on. Guess that worked out for the best, since if we had gotten on it, both of us would be dead."

"That sucks, man." Thomas shook his head. "Maybe I'm lucky, if you could say something like that; I lost a couple cousins, though I was little and didn't know them very well."

"Most of my family is still on Narn; they decided to send me here in hopes of me having a better life." Ta'Kani contributed to the conversation. "I've seen holograms of what Narn looks like; it's even worse than Earth, in spite of everything. The Centauri occupied it for 100 years, destroying it with no thought to what would happen to us. It's far from fully recovered and it'll likely take thousands of years to repair the damage."

"Yep, we can understand that better than most." Thomas replied.

"But I don't think they are strong enough to fight the Centauri and win, not alone at least." Alex added. Ta'Kani was irritated, but where many Narns would shout or even attack, he conceded to his brother's logic. He didn't loathe them as much as he would have had he still lived on Narn, but he was still a Narn with everything that meant. "Still, with our alliance, if they attack, we have a strong chance of victory. Even alone, you could probably last about 2 years the way we did, unless some ultra-advanced decided to help them… but what are the odds of that?"

They stood on one of the corners, keeping a wary eye out for any trouble. Orders stated that their weapons were to stay holstered unless they had a reasonable belief that their lives were in danger. Alex saw a fellow soldier carrying his PPG rifle around, when his commander shoved it down and screamed: "Put your gun down! This Ain't fucking Minbar!" Still, their actions had cut crime down to next to nothing.

All four of them heard sounds in the distance. "Any idea what they're saying?" Angela wondered.

"It could be trouble, but I'm not sure." Alex responded. "Let's check it out, but stay alert." All of them put their hands on their pistols, ready to use them at a moment's notice. As they got closer, it started to become clear. It was far more than a single voice; they spotted a crowd of at least a thousand, all of them screaming.

"Death to the Minbari! Death to the Minbari!" They cried, waving signs and stomping their feet.

"So do we go in there and shut them up?" Ta'Kani wondered.

Nope, orders are to simply keep an eye on things unless it turns violent." Angela stated. "Don't think those were the exact words, but close enough. Besides, I don't exactly want to fire on our own people."

"We have tolerated the Minbari menace for long enough!" The one of the podium screamed, to the cheering of the crowd. "Their goal was to exterminate us! They arrived at Earth, leveled our cities, burned our land, slaughtered innocent people for their own amusement! The Minbari committed crimes that rivaled Deathwalker herself! How many have you have lost a loved one to them? How many?" All over the crowd, shots of anger and various stories were heard.

"And now, not satisfied with the slaughter they caused 13 years ago, they attack us again, without warning, without provocation! They killed close to a thousand humans, and what have the idiots in power done? Nothing! Now is the time to take revenge, for our enemy to learn what it means to attack the Earth Alliance!" The crowd applauded, many of them raising their fists to the sky in defiance.

"I'll be damned if he doesn't have a point." Thomas stated.

"Maybe, but can we win?" Angela wondered. "That's my concern."

X X X X X X X X X X

December 11, 2260

Geneva, Switzerland

"Thank you all for coming." Foreman told her staff, meeting for the tenth time over the past few days. The question had not changed, nor did her cabinet's suggestions. "Our question is very simple: what do we do about the incident?" That was a simple way to describe it and easier than saying that close to 1,000 people were killed by a Minbari ship. Tensions were high, but she knew she had to keep calm; the fate of the Earth Alliance could rest on what she decided to do next.

"Well, this latest attack obviously ends all consideration of cutting the military budget." Dutord pointed out. "If anything, they will want to increase it, in spite of how much they have to pay for it."

"We should launch a counterattack immediately." Baskov declared. "We have put up with their aggression for too long and have paid a heavy price for it. The Minbari cannot be allowed to simply get away with a strike against our territory! If we do not respond, that will send a message of weakness to our neighbors."

"The only question is: if it becomes a full-scale war, will we be able to win it?" Jackson pointed out. "We have made great strides in lessening the technological gap, but when it comes to open war, they still have quite an edge on us." He turned on the hologram, which revealed the battle against the Trigati. They had seen it several times by now, but all of them still felt a strong stab of anger seeing it again, smiling when the dying Minbari ship was obliterated, although not without first damaging their base. "In the war, on average, we lost about 6 of our Novas for every one of their ships we destroyed. Now I would say the ratio is about 5 to 2. What we don't know is how large the Minbari fleet is."

"They're likely smaller than us; their economy is very limited." Dutord pointed out. "We don't know for sure, but our highest estimate is 60 Trillion credits, less than ¼ of ours."

"All the more reason why we should hit them." Boskov insisted. "If we do not, they will attack us. Look at what they did to us over a misunderstanding! They could easily decide to attack us again for the destruction of their ship. The fact that they were attacking us won't matter to them!"

"About 57 percent of people are in favor of going to war with the Minbari." Vercetti spoke up. "We're having rallies all over Earth, Mars, and other areas. The people are angry and they have a right to be. I admit, this is a difficult choice, because despite our gains, I do not think we can realistically win a war against the Minbari. If this were, say, 2264, we'd have a decent chance but at the moment, probably not. We might be able to defend ourselves against an attack, but not win an offensive struggle."

"I don't think we can avoid war; we'd better make a counterstrike, hit them as hard as we can." Boskov advocated. "We're going to end up at war with them sooner or later, anyway. Why not do it on our terms, hit them with overwhelming force before they have a chance to organize?"

"It would take over a month for our fleet to hit the Minbari border, probably around 6 weeks." Dutord pointed out. "We'd have to take them by complete surprise, everything would have to go well, and we could not pause in our offensive. It's feasible, yes, but not likely."

"We cannot let this go unanswered." Foreman stated. "On the other hand, we probably won't win if it comes to open war. How are we in terms of defenses?"

"Our new defense platforms have a crew of 200, plasma cannons, beam cannons, nuclear weapons, and rail guns that can impact at 300 Terajoules." Baskov informed. "Currently, we have 9 completed stations: 2 around Earth, 1 on Mars, 2 at Proxima, 3 on Durani, and 1 at Vega. 23 more are currently being constructed, and we estimate about 4 months for all of them to be completed. It's a big movement over our orbital platforms."

"It would provide an impressive defense, even more so if there were more of them." Vercetti stated. "However, they are still too few in number to make a significant difference in defense."

"If war breaks out, we will likely have to focus on defense." Foreman stated. "It's highly unlikely that we can defeat the Minbari, but we can survive if we know what to do. I hope we can find a way to avoid this, but we know what the Minbari are like."

"If we're going to war, we'd better hit them first." Baskov declared. "Our ships can prove to be a deadly opponent to them if we can choose the terms of the battle. Hit them as fast as we can before they are able to build their forces and strike us. We know where their base is in their territory."

"We can strike at their supply lines if they try to invade us." Vercetti suggested. "It bought us plenty of time during the last war, and allowed us to survive, albeit without a victory. What about our allies?"

"Do you really think they'll be willing to help us?" Baskov shook his head. "We made an alliance with them after we saved their ungrateful hides from the Dilgar. When we asked for their aid, they all refused; they were terrified of the Minbari! They wouldn't even accept refugees from conquered colonies! Our people were turned back, forced to endure the Minbari onslaught." Even though they did not attack civilian centers on any planet but Earth, that did not apply to fleeing ships. Compared to the Minbari ships, they were slow and clumsy, with only a handful having any significant arsenal, it was nothing more than target practice. Minbari cruisers gleefully shot down all ships fleeing from colonies. "Sometimes I think we should have taken the Dilgar up on their offer."

"And turn our civilization into an imperialist power?" Dutord refuted. At the beginning of the Dilgar War, when they were only beginning their slaughter of the League, they made an offer to the Earth Alliance: to attack the League, forcing them to fight on two fronts, and greatly increasing their territory. Earth ultimately turned it down, though there were some who found the offer to be quite appealing. After the war, though, increasing numbers felt that decision to be a big mistake.

"Many people would say yes, and considering what happened, I have a hard time blaming them." Jackson pointed out. "The Minbari were forced to the negotiation table when their economy collapsed. If we had even a third of the League, we could have outlasted them and delivered a victory."

"I'm not sure our allies are quite as useless and cowardly as some in this room think." Vercetti informed. "The Narns gave us weapons, although they did their best to gouge us for it. The Drazi sent a fleet to help us and it disappeared in hyperspace. One thing that Earth Alliance managed to prove to the others is that the Minbari are not as powerful and invincible as they believed. We survived their attack once; if it becomes necessary, we can do so again."

"I would like to think so, but we must plan for the worst." Foreman stated. "We have to operate on the assumption that if war comes, we will be alone."

"No, the worst case scenario, Madam President, would be the Centauri joining them in an attack to expand their borders." Dutord refuted. "Emperor Turhan refused to do so, and even kept others from taking our colonies as we rebuilt. Emperor Refa, on the other hand, is someone we need to worry about. Our intelligence reports say that they are building up their faces, and there can only be one reason for that. Their current government wants to bring them back to what they call their 'glory days'."

"So not only to we have a probable war with the Minbari, we have to worry about the Centauri hitting us on a second front." Baskov sighed. "With them at least, we can count on support. The Narns hate them with a passion and the Centauri are well aware. If they move forces to hit us, they may decide to open a front of their own. The Drazi may very well decide to do the same thing. I suggest we capitalize on that, keep the Centauri focused on them to reduce the chances of them striking us from behind."

"We're going to need all our strength to survive a Minbari attack." Foreman stated. "Last time, the highest estimates the other races gave us for survival was 6 months. It took the Minbari two years to reach Earth and we made them bleed every step of the way."

"How long will it take to finish upgrading the First Fleet?" Vercetti asked.

"At the rate it's going, another 3 days." Baskov stated. "It's already been given Hydras as escort ships instead of Corvettes, so it's going faster than expected. I suggest we give Sheridan command of the fleet when it's done. If anyone is capable of defeating them, it's him."

"I agree, despite the risk of angering the Minbari." Dutord stated.

"They're already furious with us for surviving." Jackson pointed out. "We need to do whatever will help us survive. In addition, we should replace the Corvettes as fast as we possibly can, focus on building those instead of fleetships. We already have enough Omegas for 10 fleets, and if we put our full effort into it, we can upgrade every fleet we have with them within 12 to 16 months."

"From the reports I have, it's likely to take about 4 years at the current rate to replace all our fleets with Hydras." Baskov reminded him. "If we put most of our effort into building them, we can cut that down to around 20 months."

"Okay, we'll send the message to them." Foreman declared. "We need to do it as quickly as possible. The sheer numbers of Omegas we have should suffice for a while. What about our new project?"

"We've got a second one built and tested." Baskov replied. "It's still proving difficult and expensive to build them. It'll be years before we can mass produce them."

"Still, we've taken an important first step that few of us thought we could manage for at least another decade." Dutord stated. "I've looked at the technical specifications. In theory, it should be able to destroy a Minbari cruiser in ship to ship combat."

"Even if that happens to be true, we only have a couple of prototypes." Vercetti responded. "The Minbari have at least 300 of their fleetships, not including their escorts. We'd better accelerate the upgrades of our fleets. It'll take 4 years to fully do so at the current rate; we'd better do it in half the time, if not faster."

"Another action we should take is to land soldiers on our core colonies, if not on all of them." Baskov stated. "It took the Minbari 8 months to take Durani and Proxima, due to the amount of soldiers we landed on the planet. I suggest 500,000 at a minimum to secure the inner colonies."

"A big part of the reason it took them so long is because we attached nuclear weapons onto waves of fighters and slammed them into the ships." Jackson reminded him. "We used thousands, and most didn't get through, but it was still effective, especially since they were slow to adapt."

"Then perhaps we should do the same this time, if hostilities break out, which I think they will." Baskov recommended. "Our Corvettes are little more than target practice for them, but if we use them as kamikazes, they can still hit hard enough to destroy even the strongest of their ships."

"You cannot seriously be considering this!" Vercetti protested. "You would send our men and women to a guaranteed demise."

"We have to consider the worst case scenario." Baskov pointed out. "If we are unwilling to strike first and fight the Minbari on our terms instead of theirs, we must use any and all means at our disposal."

"Won't they be expecting it?" Jackson asked. "As a whole, the Minbari leadership is inflexible, but there were a few skilled, capable leaders that gave us endless trouble. They at least will likely be prepared for such a tactic. I highly doubt it will be nearly as effective a second time."

"We're actually considering something like this?" Foreman shook her head. "Perhaps we can do it if we absolutely must, but I do not want that as our first option."

"None of us do, but it's something I suggest we consider." Vercetti stated. "The upgraded ships may prove to be a challenge to the Minbari, but I still don't think they will defeat them in open combat. At most, it will raise the ratio to 2 of our ships destroyed for every one we take out."

"Still, at those odds, we'd have a real chance of success." Baskov smiled. "We can build ships faster than they can. That's something we saw during the war and with our operations afterwards."

"We still don't know how large their fleet is right now." Dutord pointed out. "Many of their ships left the siege of Earth to hunt down the refugees, destroy the civilian structures on our colonies, and to wipe out the remnants of our fleet." The first two were a major strategic blunder that went a long way to costing them the war. With the kind of power their ships could generate, they would have eventually managed to destroy resistance on Earth, especially with the Mass Drivers they installed.

"One thing we need to do is halt all commercial traffic." Foreman declared. "We'd better change the codes on the beacons, keep the Minbari confused as to just where our colonies are." The Earth Alliance had thousands of stars within its borders, covering hundreds of light years. Out of all those stars, very few had planets, and even fewer were of any value and had any sort of infrastructure. They built the beacon network as soon as they started exploring other stars, building beacons in both normal space and hyperspace so their ships would not get lost. Whenever they did, they were never found.

"That's going to keep transports grounded for some time until they adjust to the new codes." Jackson pointed out. "At the least, we should wait until we've garrisoned the colonies and unless war actually starts, in which case there were be few civilian transports going through hyperspace anyway."

"Except for refugees from the outer colonies, which will be hit first." Baskov pointed out. "We've built shelters far enough underground to where it's unlikely the Minbari could get to them from space, but at the same time, they may deploy troops on the ground. Perhaps we should reinforce the outer colonies as well."

"We only have a certain amount of resources." Foreman sighed. "If we had more time, we could do as you suggest. Unfortunately, we do not have time. If we can somehow avoid conflict, then we will be able to do more for them."

"If we're not willing to make a first strike and fight this war on our terms, I say we concentrate on building Hydras and the new battle stations." Baskov stated. "With our defense platforms, the beam cannons we placed on them have a high yield, enough to quickly destroy even a Minbari cruiser, but it isn't able to fire for very long. We've based the main guns of the Warlock on them. The yield isn't nearly as high, but they can fire for a lot longer than our platforms." With the platforms, they didn't need to worry about life support or any kind of artificial gravity, so they could put all the power into the weapons systems. However, the reserves for the fusion reactor would be quickly burned through and because they were unmanned, they were lightly armored and quickly destroyed. It allowed them to build the platforms quickly, but it also made them vulnerable to attack.

"So where should we meet the Minbari for negotiations?" Jackson wondered. "Considering the public outcry, I suggest we do not do so on Earth or any of our colonies for that matter. Perhaps we can do so on one of their colonies, but would they agree to that?"

"We'll open talks with the League worlds, see if any of them are willing to host talks in their territory." Foreman stated. As they continued to talk, she had a bad feeling in her gut. _However much I may want to wipe the Minbari Federation out of existence, I can't. They can do the same to us, though; can we avoid another war, especially one we can't win?_

X X X X X X X X X X

December 12, 2260

Valen'tha

In the depths of hyperspace, a group of Sharlins floated, their sole purpose being to protect the Grey Council from possible attack. That was important even at the best of times, doubly so now. The council had gathered in their usual circle and at first glance, as impassive as ever. Beneath the surface, however, there was a great deal of apprehension.

"I have some important news: the humans have sent us a communication, offering negotiations for the… incident." Hestxa declared. As of one Earth Month ago, she was the new leader of the Grey Council. They kept the position vacant for over 10 years (15 Earth Years) out of respect for the fallen Dukhat, but they had finally decided to choose someone new. She was among the youngest leaders of the Minbari in recent history, at around 50 years old with dark eyes and a slight amount of hair on her head. "The question is: do we accept?"

"There is only one thing we need to do: attack and destroy them!" Morann exclaimed. "It is what we should have finished last time and we have been paying for it ever since!"

"I do not believe it is quite that simple." Coplann of the Warrior Caste stated. "There is little will for another war among the people. Not only do they feel remorse over what happened before, they are not confident that we can win. The belief that we cannot be defeated has been greatly harmed."

"We have a way to win: we can still get to Earth!" Morann insisted. Unlike many, he did not deny that what the humans said about their actions was true. He just felt that it was nothing less than they deserved. He was a member of the Wind Swords, the branch of the Warrior Caste that committed most of the atrocities. "It's not necessary to besiege it, allowing them to pick us of. We had a method of doing so before, only we refused to use it!"

"Are you proposing to use the weapons of that… creature?" Hedronn asked in disgust; he was of the Worker Caste, and they were generally the least willing to go to war. "We are Minbari, not Dilgar!"

"The Trigati attacked them first, and if we are seen as launching a war of aggression because of it, other worlds may stand up to defend Earth." Jenimer warned. "We should put our fleet on maximum alert, but not strike unless they attack us first."

"We can frighten them off, warn them that any who help them will be destroyed." Morann stated. "Our fleet still has the capability to wipe them off the face of the galaxy!" The only reason they had failed in doing so previously was that their tactics were poor, and they diverted too much of their strength into hunting down the refugees.

"The other worlds no longer believe in our invincibility, and I will not support a war of aggression." Rathenn of the Religious Caste warned. "We should respond to their communication, and try to mend ties with Earth. We need all the allies we can get. The Shadows are already moving."

"And that is the true test ahead of us." Hestxa interjected. "The Shadows are moving, as are their servants. We must have allies if we are to win the coming war. The humans are still primitive, but they are skilled and determined warriors, as we found. They would be an invaluable ally." However, there was still a question to be asked: why had they not acted? She had to admit, it would be the perfect opportunity for them, yet they had done nothing. There were no reports of a deity-like force, no mysterious disappearances, nothing.

"They're far more likely to join the Shadows against us!" Morann shouted. "They are brutal, they are violent, and they revel in death and destruction. If we truly want to prepare for the coming war, we must eliminate them as a species. I do not wish to think of how dangerous they would be with the power of the ancient enemy behind them!"

"What of the new designs the Vorlons have assisted us with?" Codroni wondered; she knew they were still few in number, but had much potential. As a member of the Religious Caste, she agreed with the warriors in needing more powerful ships. "They are much faster than any ship we currently have and their firepower rivals a Sharlin. The human's technological prowess concerns me. They advance faster than any other race I have seen. The only ones who moved at their speed were the Dilgar and perhaps the Centauri."

"We still hold a considerable lead." Coplann reassured. "War might be unavoidable, but I believe that we can keep our two civilizations at peace, even if we hold little love for one another."

"We also cannot be seen as the aggressors." Durlan of the Worker Caste pointed out.

"Yes, and we do not know what their allies will do." Jenimer warned. "Our economy collapsed during the war and it took us years to rebuild. That was from fighting the humans alone. With the Narns and the Drazi allied with them, it could collapse all the faster."

"Which means we're paying for our isolation." Morann snarled. "We must fight them on their terms, and when we attack, attack all targets on the colonies, civilian and military. Once we get to Earth, we turn it into a graveyard! Let the others see what it means to provoke the Minbari!"

"I'm afraid I cannot agree; we are simply not prepared for a major war." Coplann replied. "We badly underestimated Earth and paid a heavy price for it. Few have the will to fight a war, and we have lost too much time due to distractions."

"Then let us… deal with our distraction permanently." Morann grinned. "The reason it took us 1.3 years to reach their homeworld was because we did not know where it was, nor did we know where most of their colonies were. They will not be able to fool us that way a second time."

"Yes, and even with their advanced technology, with a truly determined attack, they will fall to us." Shakiri of the Warrior Caste declared. "They have retaken their entire civilization, all because we were not willing to fight another war to stop them. We are already paying for it now. The humans have already struck at our forces once, and it was foolish not to declare war then. We had more than sufficient cause to do so!"

"However, we do not have absolute proof of it." Codroni refuted. "I concede that it is likely, but there was still some doubt."

"And you would allow them to do so again?" Morann asked in bewilderment. "They were responsible and all of us know it!"

"We have lost track of the question: do we agree to meet with them?" Hestxa asked the others. "They are offering to meet with us in neutral territory, Kirani space." She gave them grudging credit for not being willing to do so in their own territory. Unlike many Minbari, she was quite aware of the sheer amount of hatred the humans felt for them. _Our time seems to be at an end. Our population is only 1/3 of what it was in the time of Valen and it was declining even then. _

"Do we know anything about them?" Coplann asked.

"Only that they are a nominal member of the League of non-Aligned Worlds, and hold a similar appearance to humans." Durlan informed the others.

"Are they allied with them, as the Narns and Drazi are?" Coplann asked. "I do not believe we should go to war unless they attack, but I do think that we should enhance our intelligence gathering in their space. We must have a reasonable estimate of their capabilities."

"I agree with your assessment, Coplann." Rathenn stated. "Considering that they have chosen neutral territory to have these talks and that they are willing to enter into negotiations instead of launching an attack against us, I believe we should do the same. I believe the human term is 'extend the tree branch'."

"Yes, we can do that, and while they believe that we genuinely intend peace, we can launch a surprise attack and quickly defeat their forces." Shakiri suggested. "If they are conducting negotiations, they will not be expecting such a thing."

"You would carry out such a dishonorable action?" Codroni asked in disgust, forgetting that when Lennon was making peace overtures, they made the exact same plan.

"I refuse to support that." Jenimer stated. "I believe we should at least try to make amends with the humans, start forming diplomatic ties. It will take generations for our relations to be more than hostile, but when war would only lead to massive destruction for both sides, is peace not a better alternative?"

"Not with someone like the humans." Morann rebuffed. "Look at what they did to the Warriors they captured. I saw their remains with my own eyes! How can you believe we can reach any lasting agreement with them.

"Neither of us conducted ourselves well during the war." Hestxa reminded him. She remember Delenn's words when she was sent to face judgment: "The humans' spirit and nobility has been destroyed; anger and hatred has taken its place, and I cannot see its end." Hestxa knew that War Crimes were widespread of both sides, that many indulged in cruelty because they had the power to do it. Some Warriors committed suicide after doing what their leaders had asked them to do. _We are taught that understanding is not required, only obedience. That should not apply with what some were asked to do, but I see no simple way of changing it. _"They despise us for it, and we them. It is a gaping wound that has been seeping hate for far too long. Perhaps we should try to heal the wound."

"I may agree in principle, though we must not lower our guard." Coplann replied. "Valen told us: 'if you want peace, prepare for war'."

"I would also agree; it will also tell the other worlds that we are taking a step in a positive direction." Durlan added his opinion.

"No, I refuse to agree with that." Morann snarled. "Peace with the humans is an illusion; war is the only thing that will give us the security we need."

"Even if I agreed with your position, which I do not, can our economy withstand it?" Jenimer asked. "Yes, we would likely win if we had to fight them, but we would suffer heavily, much more than last time. Or have you forgotten the fate of the Trigati?" When he learned the news, it disquieted him. He could not believe the humans had advanced so far in just a matter of years. They were still much more advanced, but the gap had shrunk a great deal. He remember how heavily the Warriors suffered on the ground on their way to Earth. They had lost close to 600,000 in ground battles, about 80 percent of them on just the final three human colonies. Those three alone took the Minbari half a year to conquer and secure (about 9 Earth months) all the while enduring constant raids by the remains of the human fleets. The humans lost even more, but they were stubborn and skilled, more so than most members of the Warrior Caste. The casualty ratio was far more even than it was in space. That was not including the 10 million who died on Earth, with three times that many wounded.

"Let us settle this now." Hestxa declared. "Those of you who believe that we should go to war, please step outside of the circle." Morann and Shakiri stepped out. "Step back." They did so. "Now who believes we should make an attempt to negotiate with the humans?" All the other stepped forward. "Then we shall negotiate; we will send a response agreeing to meet with them in Kirani space. We will not launch any attack in human territory unless they decide to strike us first." As leader of the Grey Council, she knew that she had the power to overrule them and send the Minbari to war. However, she felt that war was not a decision to be made lightly and knew of the high price they would pay should hostilities break out.

X X X X X X X X X X

Centauri Republic Population: 13.3 billion

Credits per capita: 33,000. Total GIP: 439 Trillion

Earth Alliance Population: 7.65 billion

Credits Per Capita: 34,200 Total GIP: 261.63 Trillion

Drazi Freehold Population: 7.3 billion

Credits per Capita: 18,900 Total GIP: 137.97 Trillion

Abbai Matriarchy Population: 5.7 billion

Credits Per Capita: 21,600 Total GIP: 123.12 Trillion

Vree Conglomerate Population: 6.8 Billion

Credits per Capita: 16,400 Total GIP: 111.52 Trillion

Kirani Union Population: 7.2 Billion

Credits per Capita: 13,250 Total GIP: 95.4 Trillion

Brakiri Syndicracy Population: 5.1 Billion

Credits per Capita: 17,600. Total GIP: 89.76 Trillion

Yolu Republic Population: 8.2 billion

Credits per Capita: 9,700. Total GIP: 79.54 Trillion

Hyach Gerontocracy Population: 6.4 billion

Credits per Capita: 12,400 Total GIP: 79.36 Trillion

Narn regime Population: 5.8 Billion

Credits per Capita: 10,800 Total GIP: 62.64 Trillion

Minbari Federation Population: 5.1 billion

(Est.) credits per Capita: 11,600 Total GIP: 59.16 Trillion

Cascor Empire Population: 6.2 billion

Credits per Capita: 8,400. Total GIP: 52.1 Trillion

Ikesa Population: 7.3 Billion

Credits per Capita: 6,950. Total GIP: 50.73 Trillion

Grome Population: 5.7 Billion

Credits per Capita: 7,800 Total GIP: 44.46 Trillion

Hurr Population: 2.8 billion

Credits per Capita: 5,700. Total GIP: 15.96 Trillion

Llort Population: 3.1 billion

Credits per Capita: 4,600. Total GIP: 14.26 Trillion

Pak'ma'ra Population 3.34 billion

Credits per capita: 4,050. Total GIP: 13.52 Trillion

Onteen Population: 2.7 billion

Credits per Capita: 3,800 Total GIP: 10.26 trillion

Descari Population: 2.2 billion

Credits per Capita: 3,400 Total GIP: 7.48 Trillion

Balosian Population 1.12 Billion

Credits per Capita: 2,600. Total GIP: 2.91 Trillion

Sheridan was looking through the annual report on all known civilizations. It was quite likely if not for the war, they would have surpassed the Centauri by now. Things being as they were, though, they were still a major power. _For how much longer, though? I try to be optimistic, but I highly doubt that we can defeat the Minbari. At most, we can survive, but victory is out of the question._

Still, that didn't stop the crowds from gathering all over Earth Alliance territory, making loud, angry speeches about how evil the Minbari were and how they deserved death. However, Sheridan knew that speeches were one thing; actually fighting and defeating them was quite another.

He started making plans in his head. If war broke out, the most important thing to do was buy time. Earth Alliance did not have to defeat the Minbari; they simply had to resist. Their economy was far more limited than theirs, and not capable of fighting a protracted war. _So what's better than giving them exactly what they don't want? _Sheridan thought.

Sheridan went through his brain, going through what techniques had worked best during the last war. Defensive formations had the fleet split into three, with a main fleet of ships, and more to cover the left and right flanks. It was designed so that any attacking fleet would be unable to isolate a certain pocket of their forces and destroy them piecemeal. In addition, so the enemy would be facing all the firepower of Earthforce no matter what direction they tried to attack in. It worked very well against the Dilgar 30 years before, and was designed from concerns of a Centauri invasion.

Until the Dilgar War, Earth was considered a minor power by nearly everyone. Because of it, they had attempted to become a member of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds in 2185, but were rejected due to their extensive history of warfare. There were always fears of the Centauri deciding to turn them into one of their conquests. Intelligence had picked up indications that some in their government had wanted to do just that. Of course, after the Dilgar War, which took even Earth nearly 3 years to win, those plans were barely heard of again. Earth Alliance proved that it was a power to be reckoned with, and had a mutual defense treaty with the League.

_Yeah, and we found out how much that was worth when we were in trouble. _Sheridan laughed bitterly. He sometimes wondered what would have happened if he decided to take the job as First Officer on the Prometheus. Would things have been different? Could they have averted a war that claimed the lives of billions? Perhaps it would have made no difference at all, that he would simply have been relieved when he refused to fire on the Minbari. Still, he couldn't help but wonder at times.

_Never mind that; let's say if war breaks out, we go on the offensive. What formation would work best? _A V formation would allow them to concentrate their firepower on a single area, but it would limit what they could use to the beam cannons. Turning to a 30 or 45 degree angle would solve that problem, but also mean less agility and speed. _Perhaps the Hydras can help solve that problem. They have one main gun and while in sheer weight of fire, they don't come close to an Omega, they are much more maneuverable and can attack and retreat with a reasonable chance of getting back to the main fleet safely. It might not be as effective as some think, but definitely something to consider. They're smaller, faster, and thus, harder to hit than our main ships. _

An alternate idea was to use the V formation, but structure the ships in a similar way as they would if they were defending a colony, combining offensive and defensive formations. It would allow them to take advantage if an opening presented itself, but at the same time, hold a fighting retreat if things went wrong. Sheridan remembered what many of their losses were during the middle stage of the war, when the Minbari started attacking the inner colonies. When the captains got the order to retreat, it sometimes turned into a rout, which allowed the Minbari to pick them off easily.

He turned on a screen of a Minbari cruiser, an image from the Battle at Vega Colony. Its main gun was firing at a Nova, which was doing its best to fight back, although not with much success. Some of its shots hit, which damaged the cruiser, but it quickly fell to the Minbari onslaught. "They've still got a major firepower edge on us." Sheridan sighed. He wasn't sure just how powerful their main gun was, but based on how quickly the Nova was destroyed, and the amount of armor the human ship had, it was quite possible that it was in the Petawatt range. _Their total firepower certainly is, but I'm not sure about the main gun. _It was still about 3 times stronger than the main weapons on the Omegas. _Still, one major weakness is that as far as I can see, there are no guns on the rear of their ships, and their armor isn't all that strong, for all their impressive weaponry. However, considering that they are more maneuverable than us, it's going to be a difficult weakness to exploit._

Sheridan continued running scenarios through his head, basing it on what he saw during the war and what sort of techniques the Minbari used. _If their stealth technology wasn't so good, we could have won or at least survived. They attacked in a straight line, no efforts to make themselves less of a target. Now could there be a way to lure them into a trap that their technology can't get them out of, take advantage of their weakness? Obviously, our fleetships aren't going to be fast enough to do the job, but what about the Hydras? It's far from perfect, but it could give us a real chance of victory. _

Over the years, Sheridan saw multiple what-if novels written by science fiction authors, what would the galaxy be like if the Minbari had stopped their crusade, what if they had won, what if they had not gotten complacent after the Dilgar War, if the League had followed through with their defense treaties.

One such novel he looked over had a plot where the Earth Alliance managed to win because they broke the Minbari stealth. _Considering the gap in firepower, we wouldn't have won an outright victory. We may have survived, have stopped them at Proxima or Durani, but victory? Not likely. _More of them had a scientist or team of scientists come up with some miracle weapon that saved them all in the nick of time. That was a common plot of science fiction and had been for centuries, but was usually unrealistic. Real life didn't work that way.

_Now we've got Markab space that we can use to make them bleed and strain their economy. Technically, it still belongs to them, but that's only a technicality. They're a minority on their own colonies. We have relatively few shipyards there, but it's still territory the Minbari have to take. _

They had hundreds of ship building areas just in Sol's solar system alone. Very few built whole ships; most built just parts of the ship and transported them elsewhere. The intention was to make sure their industrial system was not wiped out in a single attack. Even during the siege of Earth, there were shipyards left untouched in the asteroid field. Ships they built there were often given little armor, focusing on the weapons systems or simply just ramming them into the Sharlin. They weren't even jump capable, as their supplies of Quantium-40 were cut off, but it helped keep them on their toes.

_Another thought: if it comes down to a siege in the Core Colonies, we can send raiding attacks with emphasis on the transports. Sheer firepower won't kill everyone. If they try to bypass it without making sure the colony is secure, it allows us to pick them off. They have to send in their warriors. If we make the main focus of our efforts the transports when it comes to survival, even if God forbid, we have to use kamikazes again, it should prove an effective tactic. _Sheridan wondered why few thought of that before, or at least that such a tactic had been dismissed. So far as he knew, it was not utilized during the war. Their primary focus was on the Sharlins which were difficult to take down. The Minbari supply lines were not guarded nearly as well as Earth would have done. In the early stages on the war, that made little difference. However, as the Minbari fought farther and farther away from home, it started to really slow them down, delaying conquest and securing colonies, and so on. They got better at it later on, realizing that they had to protect their supplies, but never diverted as much as they should have. _Perhaps they simply didn't have the manpower to do it. From the information we've gathered about the Minbari, they are a relatively small civilization, about the size of an average member of the League. Population estimates are from 3 to 6 billion. _

_The more I look at this, the more I think we have a real chance of survival should war break out again. We weren't prepared the last time around but we are, for all intents and purposes, in a war-time economy. Our fleet is nearly the size of the Centauri war machine. Even the highest estimates of Minbari strength state that we have twice as many ships as they currently do. If we play this correctly, if we're prepared for the worst case scenario and not confident that we can defeat them no matter what, we've got a chance. _Even after seeing half a dozen of their bases destroyed, the brass still didn't understand how advanced the Minbari were. They sent the entire Second Fleet, veterans of the Dilgar War, to hit the closest colony, to hopefully hinder the Minbari war effort, convince them that they were not something they could walk all over, and hopefully bring them to the negotiation table. None of them returned, and intelligence discovered that the Minbari suffered relatively low losses.

Afterwards, optimism of victory all but disappeared and people began to get frightened. Earthforce was under tremendous pressure to find a way to win, lack of sleep contributing to multiple strategic blunders. There were even rumors that a couple Admirals had literally died of sleep deprivation. Sheridan was unsure about the truth to those rumors, but the fact that they were even around said something about what kind of odds they were facing. _Hopefully, we'll be able to do better this time around. Even if war doesn't happen now, I think we're going to end up fighting them again one day. _

Out of the known area of the Minbari Federation, very few stars had planets and even fewer had colonies. Of course, that was the case with even low level League worlds. It varied from a hundred to tens of thousands in the case of the Centauri. Earth Alliance was the largest after them, at about half their size. _That's going to be a major problem if we decide to take the offensive. Even with the spies we've sent, we still have only a rough idea of where their colonies are. I wouldn't be surprised if they remember where our colonies are; they'd be foolish not to map it out. _

He heard a beep from the video feed. He pushed his plans to the back of his head and checked the identification. Nodding, Sheridan said: "Open." Staring at him was his father. "Hello, Dad. How have you been? I'm sorry I haven't said hello in a while, but…"

"I understand, son." His dad smiled. "I'm sure you have a lot to do. I just wanted to let you know that they're sending me to assist in the negotiations."

"Have they decided on where it's going to be?" Sheridan asked. "At the very least, it shouldn't be on of our major colonies."

"They've come to the same conclusion. Have you seen reports of the demonstrations?"

"I've seen them; people are furious and they have a right to be."

"We're considering having the talks in Kirani space. I believe it would be best to have a neutral party oversee these talks. We've sent the Minbari a communiqué; so far, they haven't responded."

"Let's hope they're not using this as an excuse to attack us."

"You should know better than most that war isn't something you want to start at the slightest provocation, but that's neither here nor there. I know you, John; I know you're coming up with plans in your head. Be honest with me: if it turns into war, what are our chances?"

"Our chances of victory? Next to none." Sheridan responded. David nodded grimly, worried but not surprised by the assessment. "Still, if we prepare right now and prepare for the worst, we have a decent chance of survival. I was running plans through my head when you waved."

"That's good to hear. I was hoping that we could win, that they would learn some of the pain we have to endure, but it's never been a fair galaxy. More than likely, it never will be."

"One concern: is it a good idea to hold these talks in Kirani space, considering the magnitude of what could happen?" Sheridan was still far from sure that it would be a good idea to have any significant ties to them, but most felt differently. Once he learned more about them, the result did not surprise him, but still, it worried him.

"We have a highly professional staff." David knew what was on his son's mind. "Both the Narns and the Drazi offered to hold the talks in their territory, but the Minbari probably know that both of them are allied with us. Our relationship with the Centauri has soured in recent years, and the other known worlds are too far away for both of us. It would take at least a couple of months and the longer this hangs over our heads, the more frightened and the more angry people will be."

"I'm just not sure we can get anything out of them. I don't like them, never will, but I have to admit that they are stubborn. What can we even ask them for? They'd never give us any territory to placate us, the way Turhan did with the Narns on a couple occasions. An apology? I don't think that would be enough, not even close."

"I assure you, my diplomatic staff is going over the same questions. You're right; this is not going to be easy. I hate the Minbari, John. No parent should ever have to suffer the loss of their child." When Sheridan remember Elizabeth's death, a hot flash of anger went through him. Neither of them would ever forgive the Minbari for that.

"Much as I hate to say it, I wish you luck." Sheridan responded. He heard rumors of something new, a new design that would be able to defeat a Sharlin or at least match it on even terms. However, he didn't know for sure and hadn't done too much to find out all the details. Even so, what he did do told him that if it was true, it was at the very least a big step up from the Omega. "If it comes to war, you know where I'll be."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. I'll do my best to keep in contact with you. I'll see you later. Good-bye, son."

"Bye, dad." The screen went blank and Sheridan rubbed his temples. _If this happened just 3 years later, we could match the Minbari. We could upgrade all the fleets, replace the escorts, increase the number of battle stations, maybe even start mass producing those new ships I keep hearing about. _However, they had to deal with the way things were.

It didn't take long for someone to start knocking on his door. Sheridan pocketed his PPG, ready to grab it at a moment's notice. He knew it was extremely unlikely than someone would come after him here, but he learned to be prepared for anything. He opened the door and saw Leftcourt standing there. "Admiral, what can I do for you?" Sheridan asked and saluted.

"Come with me, Sheridan." Leftcourt. "You've been reassigned." Sheridan followed, hoping this meant that his ship was finally done with the upgrades. Both of them got inside the transport and exited Io's orbit. After about 15 minutes of traveling, his eyes widened. There had to be an entire fleet waiting for them. _Just what is this about?_

They docked onto the Agamemnon and walked inside. "Welcome to your new and improved ship, Admiral Sheridan." Leftcourt smiled.

"Admiral?" Sheridan managed to stutter out.

"Congratulations; you've just been promoted to command of the First Fleet." Leftcourt responded. "Considering your qualifications, you've more than earned it."

"Well… thank you very much, sir."

"Now the main modifications we made is to both the port and starboard sides of the ship. We've installed three beam cannon on each side, giving you a lot more power when you broadside a ship."

"This would more than double the total firepower these ships can bring to the battlefield."

"Exactly; in terms of armor, these ships are stronger than the Minbari. Apart from the stealth system, one thing we're sorely outmatched in is the amount of firepower we can bring. Even the main cannons on this ship have only about one third of the energy that the Minbari's main guns can unleash. It's the reason we've upgraded them; to try and equalize it."

"There is a problem, General: it would require more supplies which means more strain on our supply fleets and an increased vulnerability to being stranded."

"We've thought of that. In an emergency, the extra beam cannons can simply be shut off, but we still believe that to be a decent trade-off. Now we can really rival the firepower that the Minbari bring and surpass the Centauri by a considerable margin. They would make short work of the Centauri Primus."

"Any luck upgrading the scanners to the point where we have a decent chance of hitting them?"

"At long range, no. Their stealth is still far more advanced than anything we have. However, at that range, our countermeasures have developed to the point where they have difficulty getting an accurate lock onto our ships as well. The battle at our one of our bases took place at close range, and I'm happy to say we can get a reasonable lock at that range."

"Perhaps, but by then, we're in visual range." Sheridan reminded him. He remembered that one such tactic during the war was to install old-fashioned telescopes to the operating systems. It gave Earthforce more accuracy, but still not anywhere close to perfect. "Are we using the makeshift targeting we used during the war?"

"As a last resort, yes, but if it works, we'd much rather be able to target them electronically. At medium range, where most fleet battles take place, we estimate we can get a 30 percent lock."

"That's it?"

"Still far better than we managed during the war."

"So where will I be sending this fleet?"

"New America. It's the closest colony we have to the Minbari border. We want a show of force to… persuade some elements of the Warrior Caste that it would be unwise to start another war with us."

"Permission to speak freely?" When Leftcourt nodded, he continued: "Won't my presence there infuriate them and make them more likely to attack us? They still remember me there." Sheridan spoke with a certain amount of pride at that. Not only did he destroy the Black Star and three other cruisers, he worked as a convoy raider, slowing them down however he could. He helped design the guerilla warfare tactics once they learned they could not fight the Minbari openly.

"We know their opinion of you, but however much they wish you dead, they recognize your skills in the field." Leftcourt answered. "If they know you're in command of an entire fleet, they may think twice before starting another genocidal rampage."

"Let's hope they don't; we have a decent chance of survival, but the odds of victory are essentially nil unless our allies help militarily and I wouldn't count on that." Sheridan handed him a data crystal. "This contains some of the ideas and scenarios I've drawn up for use should they be necessary."

"Thank you; we appreciate any input you can give us." Leftcourt responded, pocketing the crystal. "At medium range, before the upgrades, we estimate that the losses ratio would have been roughly 3 to 1. With the upgrades, we're hoping to close that gap to 2." Leftcourt didn't mention that they had already done the same with the two Warlock prototypes. As things stood, those ships were going to have the capability to outmatch the Minbari in pretty much every way possible. The only difficult was, again, supplies.

"We still don't know how many ships they have. Our intelligence is incomplete, but our fleet is larger than theirs."

"Let's be careful about making assumptions."

"Sheridan, we know what we're doing. Now you have your orders. I'll be going back on the transport shortly." They saluted one another and he walked off. Sheridan stood there for several moments before walking to the bridge. Sensors stated that Leftcourt's shuttle was heading back to Io. He waited several minutes and then ordered the fleet to head for the jump gate. Yes, he could have simply created a bunch of jump points, but considering the enormous energy requirements that the upgrades needed, he felt it best to save energy.

It took them around 10 minutes to reach the gate. They typed in the code, opening the jump point and flew through it. It was going to take over a month to arrive at their destination. _I must admit, there are times when I wish I could retire, that I could stay on Earth and with Anna. _Sheridan thought, as he did many times before. _But… Earthforce needs me, especially considering our current situation. _


	11. Foreboding

She smiled, grinning at Morann. "So the leader of the Wind Swords seeks my council yet again." Jha'dur laughed.

"Have you heard what has happened?" Morann asked her. 

"If by that you mean, learned that the Trigati went into human space, destroyed two of their ships and heavily damaged one of their bases before being destroyed, yes, I know what has happened." She replied. 

"How did you know of this?" Morann demanded. 

"You'd be surprised what you can learn simply by listening to the ones around you." Jha'dur laughed. She heard several of the warriors discussing it, furious both of at the humans and at the Trigati's actions. They were far less careful about sharing information than they believed they were. 

"We are currently discussing what our response should be to this. I voted for immediate retaliation for the wanton destruction of our ship!"

"And yet they were the ones who decided to attack, they were the ones who fired the first shot. If your first response is to launch an assault against them, how will that look to the others?"

"Why would it matter? Even if they were foolish enough to try and help the humans, they would simply be destroyed, just as the humans should be! None of them deserve to live, none of them! They should all be dead, along with their planet."

"Perhaps, but you lost your opportunity when you decided not to use the weapons I gave you, considering it dishonorable. Of course, you seem to overlook that there is no honor in launching a war of extermination against a primitive race. Honor is a liability, an illusion."

"I voted to do so; Delenn kept us from using them."

"Yes, she has proven to be quite a hindrance. She forced you to truly look at ourselves, forced you to see what you turned a blind eye to. The humans have not forgotten, not for a second. They hate you and most of your people fail to understand how much they hate you. Have you noticed a certain pattern in our talks?"

"Yes, I've noticed you mock us and give us advice in riddles."

"Well, yes, but there's something much more than that. It was because of me than you even gained a limited victory over the humans. If you had not had the benefit of my experience, you would have lost the war."

"Impossible! Their ships are primitive, slow, easy to target."

"It didn't stop them from hurting you; it didn't stop them from forcing you to bleed in every advance you made. Every time you did not heed my advice, your forces suffered. I warned you to protect your supply lines. You dismissed me, believing yourselves untouchable. Your people have some skill at a stand-up battle and you have the technology to do so, but once they learned the futility of fighting you that way, they adapted. Think, Morann; what did they do?"

"They attacked us from behind, destroying our transports, our supply ships."

"As I said they would do. Do you know anything about the human history of warfare?"

"I know some; their history is soaked with blood. They are an inferior, brutal race." 

"Partially true; their history was nearly as violent as my own people. What you fail to understand from it is the skills they learned from their constant fighting. Because of it, they advanced quickly, faster than any of the League worlds, faster than the Centauri, as fast as my people, and definitely at a much quicker rate than the Minbari. For much of their history, they moved very slowly, among the slowest of the races, as did we. However, starting at around 800 of their years before now, they accelerated improvement of technology, developing more efficient ways to slaughter one another."

"As I said, a brutal, inferior race."

"Do not interrupt me, Morann." Jha'dur replied with ice in her voice, a tone that would freeze the blood of the bravest in the League and made even Morann uncomfortable. "For a long time, they fought in much the same manner you do. Two armies on the battlefield, attacking one another until one of the armies break, retreat, and are hunted down. They had been fighting that way for centuries, seeing little need to change their approach.

"However, leaders that they called the East discovered a new way of warfare, ways to overwhelm their enemies. They learned the concept of mobile warfare, instead of standing in line and launching weapons at one another, a way to guarantee high casualties even in victory. They even have a term for such a victory. It is called Pyrrhic, a type of that is so costly that there is little difference between victory and defeat."

"Tuzenor; both sides lost over a million warriors. Because of the tragedy, we began to work towards peace."

"But unlike the humans, you did not change your method of warfare. You still fought the same way, allowing your foolish concept of honor to claim the lives of your best commanders. They did the same, until someone decided to try something new. 

"And the results?"

"He and his commanders conquered a vast area, built an empire unrivalled in their history. They conquered most of the known world within 50 human years." Jha'dur actually created plans for League battles based on his tactics. "They used psychological warfare, made their enemies believe that they were invincible and could not be stopped. Those who did not submit were destroyed, with a few being allowed to live so that they would spread the news of their invincibility." There were multiple occasions where she had done just that, allowed a few small ships to escape to tell the others what they had seen. For many of the minor powers, it broke their will before the actual fighting even began. 

"We destroyed every last one of their ships, burned them down, which let them know we could not be beaten! Why didn't it work on them, the way it worked for you?"

"You didn't give them a choice! They had to fight you or be destroyed!"

"That was your goal as well, Deathwalker. You intended to exterminate the League."

"My intention was to save the Dilgar; next to that, anything was justified. Our sun was about to go nova, and the limited expansion we had managed when the Centauri were in decline was not going to sustain 9 billion Dilgar. Even if the League had decided to help us, it would have meant being their slaves until the end of time! I was not about to let that happen. You, on the other hand, decided to exterminate a population because a little girl lost her hero and let rage overcome her."

"Regardless of the reason, you have no right to condemn us."

"I don't have to; the other races have already done so. I promise you, the humans will make sure your actions are known. Even I can be impressed by the sheer savagery the Wind Swords demonstrated, all the more so because you pride yourselves on being peaceful and controlled. They don't even have to make it up!"

"Even the stronger League worlds are only a small threat to us. The Drazi were foolish enough to try and help them, and we taught them the error of their ways."

"And yet you failed in your goal to exterminate humanity, destroyed your economy and threw away 20 million warriors, all for nothing. Interested in why?"

"Fine, why did we fail, besides their refusal to fight with honor?"

"Because you told them you were going to exterminate them! An army who has no choice but to fight or die will fight all the harder because they want to live. If they believe that they will be spared by surrendering, many will do so. If you truly wanted to wipe them out, you could have accepted their surrender, moved in, deceiving them into believing that you were going to let them live until it was too late for them to do anything about it. You could simply have turned them into your subjects; you would have tripled your territory, but you did not.

"Another observation: you stated that even the stronger League Worlds are little threat to you. This is true, but you fail to see the subtlety. Individually, they are little threat, but together, they could prove to be a formidable enemy, even to you. They likely couldn't conquer you, even so, but that would be unnecessary; all they would have to do is outlast your economy. Your technology is advanced, your fleet dwarfs even the Centauri, but once you look past it, the Minbari are weak."

"Weak? Even the Centauri at their height did not dare oppose us!" However, beneath the surface, Jha'dur's words had the unpleasant feel of truth. The Minbari Federation had been declining for centuries, their territory shrinking, their population less than one-third what it was at the time of Valen. It was at 14 billion during the Shadow War, and they lost nearly 4 billion of their population, in addition to a substantial amount of their territory. Morann knew that their population never recovered from that blow and stagnated. 

"Because they heard the rumors about you, the legends of the warriors who defeated the Great Darkness. Your people are only a shadow of what they once were. The Warrior Caste is only 10 percent of the population, 450 million. Out of that population, about 1/3 are young enough to fight, and only a minority of them actually knew how. Being a warrior meant prestige and respect; most knew nothing of what it meant to fight a war! If the Centauri had decided to conquer you, they could have done it. Technology is nothing if you don't truly know how to utilize it!"

"So what happened with the warriors you described? Did they manage to unite Earth? I highly doubt it, for if they had, warfare would have ended."

"Correct. They were excellent conquers, and I based a couple of strategies from what they had done, but they did not know how to rule. As soon as they had built their empire, it began to fall apart. It was wracked with civil war and individual commanders who had their own ambitions. In little more than a generation after they built it, it was gone.

"As they declined, another area began to grow. The old civilizations began to stagnate, grow decadent, grow soft. The new world began to explore, to advance, to learn. They fought one another constantly, on land and sea. You would think that they would learn new tactics, but they did not; they fought in the same way for centuries. Their commanders led from the front, which led to a high death rate. However, they saw no reason to adapt.

"Eventually, they discovered new ground, areas that they had not previously explored. The humans there were primitive, and in a fair fight, could not hope to match them. The difference was that they fought in a different way, one that the old method of fighting could not compare to. They took them by surprise, hiding behind whatever they could, and proved to be formidable foes in spite of their technological disadvantage. Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

"Yes, the humans refused to meet us in open battle. They hid like cowards, attacking us anywhere they could and then fleeing."

"Which is what they call guerilla warfare; hit and run attacks."

"It matters not what they call it! It is a dishonorable way to fight!"

"There is no honor in war. War is cruelty and you cannot refine it. The humans understand that, my people understood that, but the Minbari do not. There is nothing glorious about war; when you fight, fight to win. You failed to destroy civilian structures, which helped them to launch hit and run attacks on your forces. Once you destroyed the military forces on one of their colonies, you left without paying the least attention to it."

"The humans will not be foolish enough to attack us." Morann told her, but even he noted the lack of conviction in his hands.

Jha'dur got up from her chair and picked out a book. She looked through the pages and smiled. "Know your enemy and know yourself. Have you ever heard that, Morann?"

"Yes, I have. Valen spoke it during the Shadow War, warning us against overconfidence."

"A lesson you apparently forgot over time. Yet here it is in a human text, hundreds of light years away from Valen, written even before his time. You underestimated the humans, believed that victory was an easy task, and ended up with your economy in ruins. This is what centuries of apathy will do."

"Then what would you recommend, Deathwalker?"

"Since simply attacking the humans is both impossible and at this moment, unwise, I suggest you prepare. Train your warriors to actually fight, instead of simply looking impressive on the surface. Your people that the Great Enemy is returning. How are you going to resist them?"

"I agree; I have pushed for such things, but until now, few listened."

"And as a result, the greatest fighters, Valen's elite, who achieved victory despite overwhelming odds, lost their support. Funding was all but nonexistent and they became a small group of old men. They still have potential; use it. Give them the resources they need to train new Anla'shok. Start preparing your economy for war. Form whatever alliances you can."

"This will be difficult. The Shadows are around, but they have done nothing. Some are beginning to question if the danger is real."

"Chance favors the prepared, Morann. Even if your enemy is no longer around, the humans still are. They have rebuilt, and they despise you. Even if war does not break out now, it one day will. They are not what you would call a logical species. Consider this scenario: you are attempting to conquer a civilization over 20 times larger than your own."

"That would be a foolish decision."

"20 times your size and 10 times your population. Militarily, you win every battle, but it's proved to be much more difficult than you thought. They are primitive and disorganized, but refuse to give up. Another civilization cuts you off from a critical resource that you need to keep your economy moving. They are also 20 times your size, 2 times your population, and have 25 times your industry. Attacking them would doom your people. What would you do, Morann?" 

"We are not in such a situation."

"Just go along with it; you'll see why."

"It would be difficult, but we would open negotiations if we had no chance of victory. What is their technology level?"

"Roughly the same as yours."

"We would… negotiate, try to form an agreement." Morann would hate it, this he knew, but while the Minbari did foolish things out of pride, he would not allow his people to be destroyed because of it.

"Yes, that would be the logical thing to do. The humans, on the other hand, attacked and open a whole new front. They open three new fronts! Their pride, their stubbornness led to the defeat of their nation, all because they did not want to lose face! The humans know your strength, they know victory is unlikely, but they may still decide to open hostilities. Still, they are not the only ones who let pride get in the way of what is best." 

"We could have beat the humans if they had done as I said!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure. One last piece of advice: have your leaders command future battles from the back of the line, not the front. It'll ensure that they'll live to command the next one." 

"Anything else, Jha'dur?"

"Why, yes. I highly recommend you extend your supply bases. You have a very large fleet, even larger than the humans have, but you are unable to use the entire armada for more than a short period of time. At most, you can deploy 30 percent of your fleet at any one time. It's all your bases are capable of supporting!"

"I have recommended as much, but… we do not possess the economy necessary to do so, not in a short amount of time. It would take us decades to do." Their population severely limited them as well. Most of the workers built and maintained infrastructure on Minbar and its colonies, with a tiny amount of them doing the same for interstellar bases and fleets. 

"Your legends say you will be facing a great enemy soon. If you believe it, why did you not begin preparations long before now?"

"We… lost the will to continue building after the war ended. Most were ashamed of our actions and combined with a deep depression, we allowed ourselves to grow weak." Much as he feared it, when the Shadows came, he did not think that his people would be able to win, much less survive. The Vorlons were providing some assistance, yes, but it wouldn't be enough. He had never seen a Shadow Vessel, but he knew the stories of Valen. 

"You have been weak for a long time, Morann. Oh, you appeared strong on the surface, but once you see under it, you're barely a threat at all to anyone who could match your technology."

"We can still defeat the humans, even with their recent advances." Their ships were slow and clumsy, even if they did have a respectable amount of firepower.

"Yes, in open battle, though even that might prove difficult. Your biggest weakness are your supplies. You can lose every single battle and still win a war if the enemy is unable to supply its forces. Without that, even the mightiest fleet in the galaxy will falter." 

"One thing they will not be able to do is deceive us about where their colonies are." During the war, they had beacons near every single star in their space. The Minbari fleet had to go to each one of them and investigate to find the few that were inhabited by their enemy. It was a long, time consuming process, allowing the humans to build more ships and fortify their colonies. 

"Well, if you go to war, you'll find out. If all else fails, you always have my weapons. They would ensure victory and ensure you would never have to worry about them again." _Not that I think you'll listen. _She thought to herself. She had given this advice before and the Minbari failed to listen. _Ignore me at your peril, fools. I might just have a few tricks you don't know about._

X X X X X X X X X X 

December 19, 2260

Julia Warren was wide awake, even though she hadn't gotten more than a few hours of sleep the previous night. She was looking forward to actually testing her ability in combat. Granted, it was only a simulation, but it was better than nothing. "We even get to meet Sinclair." She smiled. "He's the only surviving ace of the war."

"Yes, you've mentioned it." Carrie rolled her eyes. "About 15-20 times or so." They had become friends over the past month, but it still got irritating the way she talked about him all the time.

"I'm looking forward to it too." Daniel smiled. "I get to kick some butt!" He didn't hang around with Julia as much as Carrie did, since he went around and talked with just about everyone from the class. 

"We'll see; with that attitude, I'll only be gunning for you." Carrie grinned. "Even if I can't beat you, Julia can."

"Hey, I endured being strapped onto that thing longer than either of you!" Daniel bragged.

"Yes, yes, you've only told the whole class about your record." Carrie laughed.

"We'll see how we do; I'm almost trembling here." Julia admitted. She did pretty well with the various tests and exercises on mothball Starfuries; her telepathic abilities proved to be quite handy with that. What she didn't expect was to have to memorize every single part of the craft they were going to fly. They spent a week talking about it before even letting them guide a star fury out of a docking bay. "I wonder who they're going to set me up against."

"Well, with nearly half of them, you'll probably win whether you can or not." Carrie told her. "Plenty of people like you here. You've gotten gifts from several people."

"So which one of them are you going to date?" Daniel laughed.

"I'm not dating anyone!" Julia protested. Honestly, all the attention had frightened her. She was no stranger to it, not by a long shot, but from her father and his people, it didn't scare her. Anger her, yes, but never fear. "I don't know why they seem to be so interested. I've never dated anyone, in any case."

"You're kidding!" Daniel exclaimed. "I can't believe you've never gone out with anyone, hot girl like you."

"Men!" Carrie sighed. "Just ignore him. If you're not interested, you're not. Probably not a good idea to date anyone here, anyway." To say some of the guys here were immature was putting it mildly. 

"Right now, I just hope I pass whatever this test is." Julia admitted. They continued walking down the hallways where someone nearly ran into them. 

"You'll do fine." Daniel assured her. "Not as good as me, but fine." Daniel had never been someone with a problem in self-confidence, and his progress so far had only enhanced that. "When I'm done with this class, the Minbari better watch out!" 

"I'd give the same advice to your fellow pilots." Carrie retorted. "You nearly crashed into our instructor." Even under the best circumstances, things could go wrong. It wasn't unheard of for students, with both cockiness and inexperience, to end up getting themselves killed. It was a reason much of their training was on simulations, but eventually, they had to try it out for real.

"Hey, I didn't mean to turn on the afterburners!" Daniel protested. No one was ever going to let him live that down. Eventually, they got to the room they were told to be in. Everyone in the class was there, nervous and excited at the same time. Sinclair walked up to the podium and began to speak.

"Ladies and Gentleman, it is time to put the skills you currently have to the test." He declared. "These devices you see before you tie you into a simulation network where we shall see how your skills have progressed. As for what you will be facing… that's part of the surprise." It was far from the first time they had been using simulations, but until now, they had done so individually. 

"Okay, let's get in!" Daniel exclaimed. "Don't worry, Carrie; I won't shoot you down… until it's just you and me."

"Ha, you wish!" Carrie exclaimed, plugging herself into the machine.

"What makes you so confident either of you will be on top?" Julia asked, unable to resist getting sucked into their little game of teasing. "I may end up kicking both your butts." After that, conversation stopped as they were sucked into the simulation, so to speak. They found themselves inside star furies.

"Okay, so now what?" Julia wondered. "I don't see any of our class on the other side."

"Yeah, and there are Hyperions everywhere." Daniel agreed. "I thought we scrapped all of those. We better stay on guard."

"No kidding, General Obvious." Carrie retorted. On the corner of their instruments, they saw a Nova being blasted to pieces. Large as the ship was, it didn't last long against the onslaught.

"Guys, I think I know what the test is." Julia stated in a worried voice. "We're facing the Minbari!"

"Oh, crap! Stick together!" Carrie exclaimed.

"Okay, time to show these bastards what a real pilot is." Daniel grinned. 

"Minbari fighters closing in on our position." Julia gulped. "They'll be here in about… 2 minutes." The flight class banded together, preparing themselves as best they could. Their fingers were on the trigger, a few of them momentarily forgetting that this was just a training exercise. When the Minbari were close enough, all of them opened fire, but the Nial fighters keep swarming in regardless.

"Damn it, I can't lock onto them!" Daniel cursed. The Minbari strafed the pilots, shooting down 5 of them almost immediately. This threw the rest of them into a panic as they fired blindly, but the Minbari moved too fast to have any real hope to targeting visually.

Julia swerved to the right, thankful that she had little dizziness as a result of her training. She flew after one of them, trying to get a clean shot, but with her targeting computer unable to get through the stealth system and the fact that her opponent was moving too quickly kept her from scoring any hits. She continued to fire, hoping that it would hit something, but no such luck.

"Don't worry, I got your back!" Daniel promised. "Oh, shit!" One of the fighters had made a beeline for him, firing. He flew down, trying his best to evade, but was unable to shake his pursuer. Carrie flew after him, intent on shooting him down.

Julia turned around, deciding it was a waste of time to chase an opponent she couldn't catch. She gasped as she saw what had happened. Over half her class had already been shot down, and the remaining cadets were on the defensive. She flew in there, firing at full power. One of the Nials were distracted, allowing her to score a direct hit. "Yes, I got one!" Julia laughed. 

"Good, then do you mind saving my ass?" Daniel demanded. Somehow, he had managed to survive so far, but the Minbari fighters were closing in, and he wasn't able to evade much longer. Carrie flew to assist him, but in doing so, failed to notice a Nial on her tail and her fighter was destroyed before she even noticed. 

"Carrie!" Julia screamed, forgetting for a moment that this wasn't real. She flew to assist Daniel, looking around to make sure that another enemy wasn't tailing her. She opened fire on a trio of fighters, not managing to hit any of them, but it was enough to make them scatter, giving Daniel a chance to regroup.

"Whew, thanks, Julia!" Daniel breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't thank me yet; they're still on our ass." Julia reminded him. "Let's try the afterburners, put some distance between us and them." She launched them, and found herself being thrown back into her seat. Even her suit didn't manage to completely protect her from the acceleration. They noticed that they were quickly finding themselves out of range of their comrades and inexperienced as they were, they knew they had to stick together. 

They turned their furies around, firing the pulse cannons to help clear the way. Julia realized that they were no longer being pursued, the Minbari deciding to focus their efforts on easier targets. Only a few of them were left, while the Minbari had only taken minimal losses. Julia swooped in to try and help one of her classmates, although by the time they got there, it was too late. She managed to wing the Nial, but was unable to score a direct hit.

Another one had glued itself to her tail, as she tried desperately to dodge the fire. After about 15 seconds, she made a critical mistake and misjudged where her opponent was going to be next. It struck her fury and everything went black. 

The next thing she knew, she found herself in the room, breathing hard. Being pulled out of a simulation always took a lot out of her. After allowing the group a couple of minutes to compose themselves, Sinclair began to speak. "For those of you that did not know, that was the battle of Vega Colony during the war." Sinclair explained. "We brought the 4th fleet to assemble a defense of the people who lived there, while hoping to buy more time to prepare Earth's defenses. Over 85 percent of our fleet was destroyed, and almost every ship suffered some form of damage. The ground battle ended 5 weeks later."

"Why did you have us fighting those bastards?" Someone shouted. "Why didn't you tell us what you were going to be facing?"

"There are two main reasons for this." Sinclair admitted. "The first is to teach you humility. I remember how cocky I was when I was a cadet. I felt I could take on anyone. You had to learn that you are still inexperienced in flight. The second reason is to see for yourselves what kind of odds we faced during the war. There were pilots sent out there to fight with only slightly more experience than you currently have. As things turned for the worse, we did not have the luxury of going through the full training and had to cram it into shorter and shorter times. Extremely unfair to the cadets, but we had no other options. 

"Did any of you notice that while there were 40 of you, there were only 15 Minbari fighters?" There was gasps of surprise at that.

"Seemed like a lot more than that." Carrie admitted.

"Yeah, only 15?" Daniel added. "I can't believe it." Julia was focusing on Sinclair. Without even a surface scan, she knew that while he was talking to the class, he was also lost in his memories. _If I had to guess, that battle seemed almost personal for him._

"Unfortunately, I see that you forgot what you were taught during our lessons." Sinclair continued. "You stick together, and be aware of where your comrades are at all times. A couple of you died through friendly collisions. For another, do not let your opponent divide you. If you have to scatter, do not lose track of your opponent. You allowed the Minbari to divide you, unable to reach your comrades and in the confusion, it allowed them to slaughter you. They lost only 4 of their fighters! I would like to congratulate Miss Warren, Mr. Smith, Mr. Henderson, and Ms. Jabbar. You are dismissed for the day." They walked out, their minds still wrapping around what they had been told. Sinclair was quite used to this by now, which was the whole point of the simulation. 

"Damn, I thought I could kick their asses." Daniel shook his head. "Shows what I know."

_So how did you do, Julia? _Lyta asked her.

_I managed to shoot down one of the Minbari, but didn't last long after that. _Julia replied. _What a minute! You knew what the test was going to be?_

_I'm afraid so, _Lyta chuckled. 

_Why didn't you warn me?_

_Because to be a good pilot, you need to learn that you are not invincible, even if you think you are. If it's any consolation, some people act arrogant even after the tests. They don't want to believe that they lost. Just so you know, there's going to be another test similar to this in a week, but against an easier opponent._

_And who would that be?_

_I can't spoil everything for you, can I? _

"Hey, Julia, did you hear me?" Carrie asked.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Julia asked. 

"I said, so what do you think about being congratulated?" She told her. "I didn't manage to do anything useful."

"Hey, come on; you did fine." Daniel reassured. "I just got lucky; they flew rings around me. Besides, I'll look after you." Images were sent into Julia's head, emotions too strong for her to easily block out. One way of putting it was that it wasn't exactly something you wanted to see.

"So who's going to look after you, then?" Julia wondered. 

"It's going to be a full-time job." Carrie shot back, moving past her feeling of disappointment.

"We can always look after one another." Daniel smirked. "The guys in the dorm are going to be real jealous, ha ha!" 

X X X X X X X X X X 

December 20, 2260

EAS Sitting Bull

Ever since the attack on their base, Susan Ivanova had been in a foul mood. Her crew were walking on eggshells, not wanting to be on the receiving end of her wrath. She was currently in her quarters, pacing around and muttering to herself.

"Why do we even bother to negotiate with these bastards?" She snarled to herself. "We know they're going to just stab us in the back, so why not do it to them first?" She smiled at the thought of mass drivers firing asteroids into their planet, destroying everything, turning their planet into a graveyard. During the war, she had captured Minbari, cutting and burning her brother's name into their flesh. _They deserved far more than that. _She thought. She had an inkling as to what they had done during the siege of Earth, but when those videos were released, she was as horrified as everyone else. 

Ever since the incident, those had been put onto various connections where just about anyone could download them. They had also been talked about on ISN, along with all the minor news networks. The majority of people were in favor of going to war with the Minbari, Ivanova being one of them. She was furious about any effort at negotiation. The fact that the people in charge knew victory was unlikely didn't occur to her.

"They'll suffer one day, I promise it." Ivanova swore.

X X X X X X X X X X 

December 22, 2260

Earth-Minbari border

Several jump points opened near the colony. Out poured 3 Sharlins, 7 Tinashis, and nearly 100 fighters. They were there to observe human defenses, and see what they would be up against should war break out. Unfortunately, as a rule, Minbari were not good when it came to subtlety and espionage. Hedrt watched the human colony at a distance, monitoring his crew.

"What have you found out so far?" he asked.

"We're picking up some traffic, but I can't decipher it." one of the crew replied.

"Continue working and let me know the minute you find something." Hedrt ordered. "Equip the weapons to 80 percent capacity. If human ships arrive, do not fire unless they fire first."

"And if their ships arrive, demanding that we leave?" his aide asked.

"We do so; unlike the Trigati, we are not here to attack." Their ships continued to approach, observing the human base. He knew that their outer colonies only had limited defenses, ones that they could easily cut through even now. However, they were much more formidable than they were 10 years previously. 

"What are the estimates of civilian population on this colony?"

"Unknown; there were only a few thousand before, but we've gotten reports that populations on all colonies have increased greatly."

"Let's hope we can obtain more information." Even if they were found, Hedrt doubted that the humans would dare fire the first shot, but all precautions had to be made. 

"Alyt, I'm picking up something in hyperspace."

"What is it?"

"I do not know. It is not a human vessel, but I cannot say for sure what it is." The sensors began to beep, indicating a massive surge of energy. 

"Full power to the scanners; we must know what that is." Before they could obey his orders, he received his answer. A Tinashi was blown to pieces, crystalline armor scattering everywhere. The screen turned out and they saw a Shadow vessel cutting burning through the fighters.

"Maximum power, take down that ship!" Hedrt exclaimed in fear, though he did his best to hide it. He knew the stories of the Shadow War, same as every Minbari, of the bravery of the people fighting against a seemingly invincible enemy. He always wondered whether or not he would have the bravery to do what they had done. Now it seemed like he was going to get the chance to find out. "All guns, fire!"

However, the Shadow Proved elusive and cut the top off of one of the Warcruisers. It moved in from behind and fired, slicing the cruiser in half in a matter of seconds. The Tinashis proved more agile and fired at the Shadow ship, but even the energy that hit had little effect. The vessel again fired, destroy more fighters and another Tinashi.

One of the main guns finally scored a direct hit, knocking it off course. "Damage?" He asked, hoping it was wounded.

"Only marginal." His aide replied. The other Sharlin fired at one of the spines, destroying it. He heard a loud screech in his ears and barely restrained himself from covering them.

"Hit it before it recovers!" He ordered. Even damaged, that proved to be difficult. Just as the humans were never able to lock on to their war cruiser, the Minbari could not accurate aim at the Ancient Enemy. Two of the main guns hit it with full force, but even disoriented, the vessel was a long way from out of the fight. It fired again, destroying one of the main guns on the other Sharlin.

The Minbari moved in closer, allowing them to have a real chance of hitting it. All their firepower poured into it, coming from the fear of what had returned and the desire to live. "Turn off the jump engines." he stated. He knew it would leave them unable to jump for 30 standard minutes (why even the Minbari sometimes used human units, he didn't know) but this was their only chance to win. "Fire all the ship's power at that thing." The crew reluctantly did so. 

The Shadow Vessel screeched, firing its beam erratically. The second Sharlin endured a direct hit, having much of the starboard side of it destroyed. Its guns stopped firing and allowed the Shadow to break free of the maelstrom. There were few Nials remaining, but fortunately, their enemy had suffered considerable damage. 

Being in command of the only remaining Sharlin, he turned the ship around, intending to finish it off. It fired on the last Tinashis, vaporizing parts of the ships and blowing the rest to pieces. Hedrt knew it was unlikely that they were going to survive this, and prepared himself as best he could. They fired another barrage, striking the body of the vessel. 

For a few moments, he felt hope that survival might be possible after all. That changed a few seconds later when deadly energy poured into his ship, cutting it in half. The last thing he knew was a brief flash of pain before everything went black. 

The vessel destroyed the last of the fighters and burned the fleet ships to make sure that no one could survive. Two more Shadow Vessels appeared, and attached themselves to the ship, as it was going to take some time to repair it. 

X X X X X X X X X X 

December 23, 2260

David Sheridan rubbed his temples as they went towards their destination. He hoped they'd manage to avert a war. Despite popular support for one, it would be a suicide mission. _I'm just hoping I'll succeed. _Their envoy would reach their destination in a matter of days. Earthgov refused to allow any Minbari on their territory, not wanting them to memorize the location of their colonies or have an accurate idea as to their strength. Thankfully, the Kirani were willing to host the talks, as a neutral party.

_Assuming the diplomatic party can keep their minds on the mission and not the Kirani's… differing attitude. _David still felt that the chosen location was not the wisest course, but the people above him made up their minds and refused to change it. Not only would he have to deal with the possibility of complicating things, his staff would be making jokes about them when they believed he wasn't listening.

Meanwhile, though, he went over the demands of the Earth Alliance. They demanded a apology and compensation for the damage and the families of the victims. Had any on the Minbari cruiser survived, they would have also demanded that they be handed over to them. _At least it means we've caught up somewhat in terms of technology. _David was an experienced enough diplomat to know when to follow the line his superiors had laid out for him, and when it was time to simply bend the rules in the interest of Earth.

_Sometimes, I think I should retire and let someone else do the job. _He thought. Miranda always complained that he was gone too much, that he didn't spend enough time with her. Having lived through the Minbari war, he knew to cherish every moment he had with his loved ones because something could happen to either he or them at any time.

David leaned over and grabbed his medication. Tenasticin was crucial to keeping him alive, due to his blood disease. The disease first showed up in the 2160's, at which time it was incurable and untreatable. Even now, there was no permanent cure for the genetic defect, but with the drug, it was manageable and allowed him to live a normal life. He took out the syringe and injected the drug into his vein. It was necessary for him to do so twice a day. Thankfully, Earth Alliance had learned how to synthesize the drug, although it didn't have the kind of quality the Centauri version had.

He continued reading over the reports. The quarrel between the Centauri and the Narn over Quadrant 37 was considerably alarming. Ever since Emperor Refa took over, the Centauri were becoming increasingly aggressive and were gradually building up their military forces. According to intelligence reports, Refa was hunting down, imprisoning, and even killing any citizen of the Republic he felt would try to stop him. _Just wonderful; expansionist ambitions again. _The Narn might be able to put up a strong fight, but like a human war with the Minbari, it was one that they would almost certainly lose. 

His superiors were considering sending a few ships to Narn space as a gesture of support when the Trigati incident occurred. Afterwards, they had changed their priorities, although they still gave diplomatic and economic aid to the Narn. By now, the Narn Regime was deeply in debt to the Earth Alliance. Even though their economy was severely damaged, it was making a rapid recovery.

_A few more years and we'd be able to match the Minbari on their own terms. _David shook his head. However, he had to deal with the galaxy as it was, not as he wanted it too. He despised them as much as anyone else due to the death of his only daughter and his grandchildren. Even now, David found it difficult to think about.

The only good thing he could say about it was that they were not captured. Some of the ones who were met a very gruesome fate. Not all the Minbari treated their captives so horribly, or even close to all of them, but the ones who did gave them a terrible reputation, which the humans made sure to broadcast as far as they possibly could, attempting to gain support for their side.

David, though, knew a little about Minbari culture, while most humans were completely ignorant about it. One of their sayings was especially troubling to him: "Understanding is not required, only obedience." In moderate doses, that could make an excellent soldier. Taken to an extreme, however, it could cause terrible war crimes. _Not that we're entirely innocent of that, either. _Some human soldiers were every bit as brutal to their captives, especially when the torture chambers were liberated. The Minbari guards frequently met the same fate. Those little details were not often mentioned. Thankfully, the Minbari seemed to have little concept of propaganda.

That group, though… they were similar to Unit 731 in human history, and it could also be compared to Adara's extermination of the Turkish Cypriots in the early stages of the Third World War. There were countless examples throughout human history, but those were the ones that first came to mind for him. 

"Mr. Sheridan, is there anything I can do for you?" His translator asked, walking into his quarters.

"No, thank you, Gagan." David answered. For the purposes of diplomacy, he brought along a couple of interpreters, a telepath, and assistants whose job it was to keep the information and notification of the negotiations. He left the room as soon as he arrived.

David sighed, taking a sip of water. This had to go well, or it was going to end in disaster, likely for both sides. In spite of everything that happened, he did not want another war with the Minbari. His son disagreed, being willing to fight a war of revenge if there was a reasonable possibility of victory.

As things currently were, they took the fastest ship they could and would arrive in around 4 days. The Minbari, being farther away, would likely take even longer to arrive, although their ships moved faster through hyperspace. He was dreading this, so naturally, time seemed to move very quickly. 

A secondary goal he had been assigned to was an attempt to get the Kirani within their sphere of influence. _We're going to be connected to them no matter what. We'd better take advantage of it. _Indeed, large numbers of Kirani were already arriving on the nearest human colonies and humans were doing the same to them. It would only increase over time. _They're quite similar in appearance and biology to us, although there are crucial differences. It's opened up a whole new chapter in the nature-nurture debate. _Even now, the psychology debate raged on. Every 10 to 15 years, it swung in the other direction. He had stopped paying attention a long time ago.

What he was paying attention to was what was going on in the Earth Alliance. There was a great deal he didn't like, but didn't know what he could do to stop it. _First things first; we need to find a way out of this mess._

X X X X X X X X X X 

He figured his weapon, waiting anxiously for his targets to arrive. He had been doing this kind of thing for a long time, and was quite used to waiting, days, weeks, even months for an opportunity, but even for him, this was different. He had never before been hired for such a high priority job before.

He knew what he was ordered to do. _Kill the ambassadors and their party. It doesn't matter which one is taken out; only one has to be eliminated. _If he succeeded, he would be rich enough to retire comfortably for the rest of his life. _Not that I would retire. What's life without work? _

However, one thing he did understand was that this was not a routine job. He brought along the best equipment he had, knowing that heavy firepower might be necessary. Thankfully, his employers had managed to give him what he needed to get past security. Not that he would have needed it; he had been doing this for a very long time, but it made things simpler.

He had never been to Kirani territory before and found the inhabitants quite fascinating. However, he was trained enough to keep his mind focused on the job. _2 million credits now, 3 million more upon completing the mission. _In addition to the considerable amount of money he had to pay in order to arrive.

He was under no illusions as to why his employers wanted this done, but it didn't matter to him. It was just an assignment, nothing more, nothing less. He was quiet, unassuming, and blended in perfectly with the environment. No one in the city paid him any particular mind. That was his main skill and why he always succeeded when a contract was put on someone. At one time, he was curious as to the reason, but had lost his curiosity a long time ago.

_It's only a matter of time. _He said to himself. He could blend in for much longer if he had to. When the time came, he would strike. 

X X X X X X X X X X 

Just for the record, the Shadows in this story are going to be what they were in the beginning of the third season: strong enough that a lone White Star could barely damage it. 

Note: for those of you that are unaware, Unit 731 was a Japanese military branch working on biological "science". In practice, however, they committed brutal atrocities, not unlike the ones I've described the Minbari doing. I've heard from various sources that the Minbari culture is partially based on the Japanese and my mind began making connections.


	12. Diplomacy

Sinclair had to admit, however reluctantly, that Ari'shan was an interesting person to have a conversation with. He knew just about everything there was to know about flying a fighter and both destroying enemy fighters and hitting the vulnerable areas of a ship. They were having an informal contest to see who was the better pilot while they were training the cadets. So far, Sinclair was in the lead, although Ari'shan was catching up fast.

The only thing that truly bothered him was that he talked about the fond memories of Jha'dur. On some level, he could understand that, since they were almost brother and sister, but hearing him smile at the thought of someone who killed about 20 billion sentients often chilled him.

Although it was hours before he actually had to go out and instruct, Sinclair was unable to get to sleep. These days, he didn't sleep very often and then with one eye open. _Old habits die hard, I guess. _He knew he was far from the only one in Earthforce who had that trait.

He often wondered what would have happened had he joined the Battle of the Line. Most likely, he would have died along with everyone else, but there was just something about it… Sinclair sometimes felt like he was meant to be there, in spite of the hopelessness.

Sinclair heard the buzzer on his door. Sighing slightly, he opened it and saw someone that he never thought he'd see again. "Catherine!" He stated in considerable shock. "How did you get here?"

"I have a friend and he pulled a few strings for me." Catherine smiled. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Too long," Sinclair responded. She was as beautiful as ever. _It's a shame she and I were never able to pull things together. _"It's been fourteen years. How have you been?" The last time he saw Catherine was a couple of weeks before the Battle of the Line. Her fighter was crippled at Proxima III and she was one of the very lucky fighters to make it out of that battle alive. Fortunately, the Minbari didn't realize she was still alive and discounted her as a threat.

"I've been… about as well as can be expected." Catherine responded.

"So is this going to be the same old routine?" Sinclair asked. "We meet every 2-3 years and ask the same questions…"

"Not exactly," Catherine sighed. "I'm the only one of my direct family that's still alive. My older brother Robert lives on Vega, but we haven't spoken to each other in years."

"Same here; I don't even know if my brother is still alive." Sinclair admitted. After the war, things had gotten very chaotic and records were misplaced or lost and both the electronic copies and the paper backups were nowhere to be found. Everyone had other things on their minds.

"So have you stayed in Earthforce the whole time?" Catherine asked.

"As a matter of fact, I have." Sinclair stated. "They need all the capable people they can find."

"But how long are you going to stay here?" Catherine wondered. "If war breaks out, they'll ship you to the front lines, won't they?"

"Catherine, right now, my job is teaching fellow pilots, not flying missions." Sinclair reassured.

"Yes, I remember your legendary skill." Catherine smiled. As a pilot, she was not in Sinclair's level, but she had skill. Like so many other new cadets, she was cocky and thought she could handle anything. Sinclair was a student teacher at the time and showed her that she still had much to learn. "You could never resist reminding me when we were together."

"You were the one who thought you could beat me." Sinclair smiled fondly.

"I actually did once." Catherine reminded.

"That was only because of a technical glitch that slowed my fury down." Sinclair protested.

"Oh, stop making excuses, Jeff." Catherine laughed. "I beat you and you know it!"

"Okay, I'll let you have your victory." Sinclair chuckled. "You know, it's been a long time since I've been able to relax with an old friend."

"Yeah, I'd have to agree with you." Catherine responded. "Did you see the latest report on ISN?"

"No, I haven't." Sinclair admitted. He spent most of his time either teaching his cadets or thinking of new maneuvers to use for them.

"There were numerous riots on Earth, demanding that we launch an attack." Catherine stated. "Things are just getting worse over there."

"I've heard a couple of reports, but I didn't think things were that bad." Sinclair admitted. He was, however, aware that his belief that they should try to move past the war and learn to forgive the Minbari was not a popular one. "Still, let's not think about that right now. Are there any new jobs for you?"

"Actually, yes; we're sending a team to Proxima IV to observe." Catherine replied.

"Observe what?" Sinclair asked.

"Oh, the natives to that planet," Catherine declared. "We've never tried colonizing it, except for a few military bases on the ground and in orbit. It's never seemed worth the trouble since Proxima III is easier to do so."

"Perhaps, but I thought it was a major source of Quantum-40." Sinclair stated.

"It is, but we haven't done much with it." Catherine admitted. That at least was true. There were considerable supplies on Ganymede and Ceres, in addition to what they had found in other star systems. "However, now that we've using it as a faster rate, Earth wants to make sure we have an ample supply."

"And your job is to find it, correct?" Sinclair looked at her. "Who's going to be in charge of this mission?"

"Anna Sheridan, actually," Catherine replied.

"I've met her a couple of times; she seems to be a decent woman." Sinclair told her. What he didn't tell her was that he at first hated her because of the hostile relationship he once had with John Sheridan. When he was a freshman at the academy, Sheridan bullied him on nearly a daily basis. Eventually, he managed to forgive him and they even talked on occasion, although they were a long way from close.

"Hello, Sinclair." Someone interrupted them. "Are you willing to try another round?"

"I'll have to decline for the moment; I'm catching up with an old friend." Sinclair replied. "Catherine, this is my student teacher, Edward."

"A pleasure to meet you." She replied, shaking his hand. "I hope it hasn't been too difficult training him as well." His hand felt kind of weird, though. Mostly, she thought she imagined it, but there was something in the back of her head she couldn't put her finger on.

"Hey, I'm even better than he is." Edward protested.

"Not exactly, although he's a very skilled pilot," Sinclair cut him off. "We're having an informal contest to see who really is better. I'm in the lead so far, but he's proven to be a difficult opponent."

"I'll beat you and it won't be long." Edward smiled. "So are you his… girlfriend?"

"Um… no, I'm not." Catherine responded with a blush.

"My mistake, then," Edward replied apologetically. "In that case, I'll leave you to your reminiscing, even if it gives him a continent excuse."

After he left, Catherine stated: "Is there anything about him that seems off to you?"

"He's a bit eccentric, but an excellent teacher." Sinclair replied. "Our students are making rapid progress."

"So is there a place to eat here?" Catherine wondered.

"Yes, I believe there is." Sinclair smiled. "We can sit down and go over everything we did the last time we ran into each other." They walked together, talking the whole way, with her hand unconsciously on his arm.

X X X X X X X X X X

William had just finished looking over the papers and was about to go home, or what passed for one. _They've been predicting the demise of paper for centuries, and yet we're still using it. _He knew why as well. Strong as the computer defenses may have been, they were not invulnerable and it was handy to have paper copies as backup.

While he had no official rank in the Earth Alliance, he was highly respected by most and they asked his advice on many major decision. He had to admit, this isn't exactly what he had expected for his future. _I just led us through the dark days because everyone above me was dead or unsuitable for the job. _

He caught the hints of a conversation in the distance and he knew who that voice belonged to. "I wonder what this is about." He muttered to himself. William walked towards it to find out what exactly this meant.

"Look, we're not ready yet." He heard from the president. "I personally appreciate all the help you've given us, but we're in no shape to do what you want right now."

_Who is she talking to? _William wondered. He waited to hear a reply, but there wasn't one, at least not that he could detect. William knew the president was perfectly sane and would not talk to herself, so who was this?

"Yes, I know what you want, but please give us time." Foreman replied. Things were now more confusing than ever. Was she talking to an alien civilization representative who was willing to assist them?

_Who would assist us, though? _William thought. They had asked the League and the Centauri and they refused out of hand. The Drazi attempted it and had their largest colony burnt to ash by Minbari ships, sending a clear message for any would-be allies. Even the Centauri didn't dare do anything. That begged the question: who would?

Another question was why, if there was an alien, why he couldn't hear or understand anything. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he kept his ear to the door. _I wonder why they don't have any security around here._

"You're really willing to give such a gift to us?" The president stated to what appeared to be a non-existent companion. "Our scientists have been working on this for years with very limited success. This would increase our chances enormously."

_What kind of device would that be? _William wondered. _If I had to guess, it would be a way to get around the Minbari stealth system. _William did not want another war. The last one was going to take a long time to recover from; the general public clearly thought differently. There were protests and riots all over the Earth Alliance, often with one single phrase: "Death to the Minbari!"

"Obviously, we'll have to look this over and make sure it is compatible with our equipment and see if we can reproduce it on a large scale." The president declared. "Within a year, maybe slightly more, all our ships will have them."

William heard a clicking voice in response. Since there was someone there, why was he hearing it for the first time? More important, how did the president know whatever language it was speaking. _Whoever it is, it's probably the envoy of a very advanced race. _Exploration ships had found evidence of ancient races with technology far above any of the league worlds, the Narn, the Centauri, or even the Minbari. What no one knew is why they had disappeared. Perhaps they had not done so, after all.

"Your assistance is more than welcome." He heard the president say. "If war comes, we cannot count on the League to help us. The Narn might, but they won't be able to spare enough to make a difference. It's good to know that finally Earth has a true ally."

After that revelation, William left as discreetly as he could, still trying to ponder what that conversation meant.

X X X X X X X X X X

Sheridan looked out of the ship with his hands folded behind his back, looking into the vast depths of hyperspace. The red storms of energy were almost hypnotic and his eyes were drawn to them. _Just imagine what we could do if it was possible to harness that power. _He thought. Sheridan knew it wasn't going to happen, though. Out of all the races they had contacted, not one of them had the slightest idea of how to do so.

But the main thing he was wondering at the moment was if this gesture was a good idea. He was running through tactics in his head, remembering the Minbari strengths and the battles of the last war.

"Can you handle things on your own right now?" Sheridan asked, turning to his second-in command. He knew she was more than capable; this was merely a formality.

"Yes, sir, but why?" Smith asked. "What do you intend to do?"

"I need to come up with a strategy." Sheridan replied. "If you need me, I will be in my quarters." He walked off the bridge and took the nearest elevator, stopping just a couple hundred of feet away from his room.

Once he arrived, he shut the door and started running things through his head. _Okay, we can't fight them directly, in spite of our improved technology. _The Omegas were a major step up from what they had before, particularly the upgraded ones. They moved fast, had stronger armor, more firepower, and more maneuverability, but from what he remembered of the Minbari ships, they were still far from a match for them.

_Okay, in an outright battle, I would estimate a 3-to-1 loss ratio. _Those were much better odds than they had before, but still not enough to win an open war. He waved his hand, calling up a hologram of a Minbari ship. Sheridan looked through the weapons in detail, in addition to its design. "Call up one of our ships and have the Sharlin fire on it." Sheridan ordered.

"Commencing," The computer replied. The simulated Minbari began burning through the hull of the Omega, causing enormous damage to the exterior.

"Stop," Sheridan declared. "Magnify it!" He looked at the Omega. Part of the hull was melted, but the beam had not completely penetrated and caused critical, which had it been a Nova or Hyperion, it would have easily done. "Okay, now have the Omega fire upon the Sharlin. Direct hit, optimum range," He watched it fire, burning the hull, but failed to penetrate.

_All right, I would estimate that their beam cannons are about three times stronger than ours. _Sheridan thought. _Now, each of us has our advantages and disadvantages. The question is how to turn their strength into a weakness._

The most obvious of the Minbari strengths were technology. They had superior firepower, superior speed, superior jump gate accuracy, and greater range. However, their greatest weapon of all was their stealth. While Earth ships didn't have the kind of firepower they did, it was sufficient to destroy or at least cripple Minbari vessels. _Now how do we turn them into weakness or at the very least, reduce their advantages? _

The best thing for them would be to break through their stealth system. Every ship, down to the weakest League member, had them to a certain extent, but the Minbari version was far stronger than anything they had previously seen. Sheridan had listened to promises ever since the war ended that they were on the verge of breaking through their stealth, giving them an enormous advantage, but that miracle had not yet materialized. They had finally had some success, as Ivanova's attack on them a few months previous had made apparent, but there was still a long way to go. At best, it was only about a thirty percent lock. _Still a lot more than anything we had before. The only way we could hit them was blind luck._

Another was their maneuverability, although hopefully the Hydra classes would help negate that. They were designed to be a far more efficient version of the Corvettes, able to actually withstand a few Minbari attacks before succumbing and armed with coilguns that they hoped would tear through Minbari armor. Unfortunately, coilguns were slow in comparison to beams and they would have to get close in order to have a reasonable chance of success.

_However, it meant just be worth the risk. _They used them during the ground campaigns and proved to be very effective against Minbari vehicles. They were designed to repel particle beams and plasma, not projectiles. On Beta Durani and Proxima III, Minbari losses exceeded humans by a considerable margin, in spite of their massive advantage in technology. Unfortunately, they were able to send reinforcements while every human attempt was destroyed and overwhelmed them in sheer numbers.

"Okay, now what about their range?" Sheridan muttered. "Their advantage is not as overwhelming as it is in other areas, especially due to recent developments, but nevertheless, it is still to their advantage. What we could do is move in close, fight at close range and negate that advantage, in addition to the advantage of their stealth system. That would mean they'd have to fight us on our terms." Sheridan was reluctant to pursue such a tactic. That would mean that Earthforce would suffer horrifying losses and would likely mean that very few, if any, would come out of that battle alive. In spite of that, though, it could make the Minbari assault a costly victory. _In the words of Admiral Nelson, no ship can do very wrong by putting itself right alongside the enemy._

"Let's not forget their number one weakness: their economy." Sheridan stated. While they were advanced, they were isolated with only a limited number of ships and construction bases. In spite of the fact that in relative terms, the area between human and Minbari territory was small, it was difficult to launch a long war. "In a short war, they have all the advantages. They wiped out a third of our forces within two months before we realized that a frontal attack was not going to work. In a long war, however, we have the advantage. Our economy is stronger and we have more territory, especially now that we own the Markab colonies." Technically, they were still sovereign colonies of the Markab, but for all intents and purposes, they belonged to Earth. A couple of the Drazi outer colonies were under joint ownership, although again the race who actually owned them were a minority in their own home.

_Add that to the fact we essentially forced the Hurr to give up their colonies, along with a couple that belonged to the Onteen, we have grown considerably. _Personally, Sheridan was somewhat uncomfortable about the fact that they had essentially conquered, although they managed to do so without firing a shot, but the interests of the Earth Alliance had to come first, especially now.

"We've got to make them fight a long war of attrition." Sheridan stated. "To slow them, we use small groups of Hydras and Omega to hit their supply bases deep in Minbari territory, which would also force them to use their ships to protect themselves. Our spies have gotten us the location of their inhabited planets, in addition to where they have placed their bases. We can also harass them at any colonies of ours that they manage to take. If this turns into a war, most of our outer colonies will probably be lost. It will likely mean certain death for the people living there, but we don't have to win a complete military victory over them. All we need to do is survive. Their economy collapsed when they tried opening the war into other fronts, meaning that they are far from invincible."

Another big weakness was their tactics. If the technology levels were anything close to even, even an inexperienced officer could beat them. They were slow to adapt, it was obvious even to someone who was blind what they were going to go, and they assembled their ships into a straight line, giving Earth a massive target to shoot at. Despite all of that, though, they won because of the technology they possessed. _I've heard a rumor that part of that is or was because as extremely advanced race assisted them in doing so. It'd be interesting to find out if that was true._

That begged the question: was it a wise tactical move to move to the colony closest to the border as a show of strength? For morale purposes, it would work quite well, but in terms of the possible war effort, it could leave them vulnerable. _Would we be able to make them think, if it came down to it, that destroying the Earth Alliance would be too costly for them? Let's not kid ourselves; they still have the capability to do it. It's possible that others would help us, but there's no guarantee of that. Even if they feel sympathy for our cause, their survival will come first._

Every scenario he ran, either through his head, or through the computer, showed that fleet to fleet, he would lose. The only thing that varied was how costly they could make the victory.

Sheridan had to admit, there were times when he wished he could just leave everything behind; resign from Earthforce and spend his time with Anna. However, he knew he could never do it. Earth needed him and he had his duty, however unhappy that made his wife. They had rows about it on occasion and he could understand her anger. They were rarely able to see each other. Talking on channels was not the same as seeing each other in person.

X X X X X X X X X X

John Anderton walked into the room where the League representatives were waiting. He was nervous and far from sure that he would be successful, but he had to try. Considering what the stakes were for the Earth Alliance, he was willing to do just about anything.

He arrived inside the room, data crystals in hand, as he looked up at the League representatives. "Speak your piece, Mr. Anderton." The Abbai representative declared.

He gulped, but went ahead. "Representatives of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, I thank you for the opportunity to make myself heard, for there is a matter of great urgency. The Earth Alliance is in a perilous situation, one that could mean the end of the human race.

"On December 2, 2260, a Minbari ship named the Trigati crossed over into Earth Alliance space. They made no effort of communication, and instead decided to respond with an act of aggression." He plugged in the data crystal, showing the information that was gleamed from the battle. There were some details missing, but intelligence operatives filled in the gaps.

The League watched as the ships dueled, one of the things catching their attention was that it was a much less one-sided fight than they were expecting. While still badly outmatched, the earth warships caused critical damage to the Trigati, which decided to blow up a human base before its crew died.

"Over 1,000 humans were killed in that act of aggression, including 500 civilians who wanted nothing more but to live in peace and provide for their families." Anderton continued. "Instead of apologizing and making amends, the Minbari have instead chosen a path of vengeance. They are threatening a war with us over this incident, a war that, if I may speak completely bluntly, we are unlikely to win.

"Our current situation is not so different than what we faced 15 years ago. We encountered a small fleet of Minbari ships, who opened their gunports in greeting. Unfortunately, our commanders did not then understand Minbari custom and interpreted it as a threat, opening fire. The Minbari decided to respond with genocide.

"They went through our outer colonies and destroyed the military bases, leaving civilians alone for that moment. We decided to attempt a major offensive, gathering the best fleet in Earthforce, with the most advanced fighters and ships we had at that time. We expected that we could win a victory or at least cripple their ability to attack us.

Anderton turned on more images of the battle that they had recovered after the fact. "Instead, our fleet was almost completely annihilated. We sent 30 Novas, 60 Hyperions, and 1200 fighters into the battle. Less than 10 percent of the ships made it out of that battle alive. There were ships crippled and attempting to surrender. The Minbari responded with death.

"A few months later, we had a glimmer of hope. Some factions within the Minbari government were hoping to put an end to this war. Unfortunately, the main government was apparently unhappy, and sabotaged the meeting, killing the representative and putting an end to peace and with it, our hope of survival." That was not 100 percent confirmed, but what other explanation could there be?

"One of the first colonies hit after that was the Flynn colony. It had formidable defenses and forced them to fight a ground campaign. Although badly outnumbered and outgunned, our soldiers nevertheless fought for months, making them bleed for every step they took.

"Since they could not smash our soldiers, they instead turned on our civilians. All of them were rounded and massacred. None were spared, not even children." Anderton plugged in another data crystal, this one showing the aftermath of the massacre. Every League member was moved, with responses ranging from horror to sadness to rage. Anderton let them look at them for a while before he began to speak again/

"Throughout this war, we made every effort we could to apologize, to make amends, to do something to halt the tide of death and destruction. The Minbari had stayed silent for months until they finally responded. Unfortunately, it was not the response we were hoping for." He waved his hand, showing the Minbari response.

The picture was one of the high-ranking Warrior Caste, his face obviously contorted with rage. "Do you think we are going to allow your kind to surrender? Never! Never! **NEVER! **You will ALL burn for your crimes! Every man, every woman, every child will perish under our onslaught! Your kind deserves no mercy and we will grant NO MERCY! After we are done, the name human will be nothing more than a memory."

That got a major response from the League. Although they knew the goals of the Minbari in the abstract, it was quite another for one to say it in his own words.

"We fought as hard as we could, defending our last free colonies with everything we had, but eventually, the Minbari broke through and arrived at Earth. Again, we attempted to surrender, to plead for mercy, praying that they would hear our pleas, but they did not respond, telling us that they had instead decided on a course of extermination. The battle of the line was our final hope, giving us time to flee the planet before the Minbari arrived.

"Our fleet was destroyed, massacred with only minimal Minbari losses. Afterwards, they laid siege to our planet, destroying city after city, killing millions upon millions. We forced them to conduct a ground campaign, but little did we know the carnage had only begun."

He showed more videos of asteroids slamming into Earth. "They responded to our desperation by dropping hundreds of asteroids onto our planet with mass drivers. I do not believe I need to remind you that they are considered of mass destruction and every civilized race has sworn not to use them in combat.

"Over time, we liberated some of the prison camps they had set up on Earth. However, nothing could have prepared us for what we found." He played the videos of Minbari atrocities. One was when human soldiers stormed in and saw a Minbari warrior taking a knife to a young girl, who could not have been more than 7 or 8. She was screaming in agony, her intestines spilling over the table. "We did our best to help her, but she died shortly afterward."

By now, some of the League members were visibly sick. "Very few people in that facility survived." Anderton explained. "The Minbari we took prisoner told us that this was simply a method of relaxation for them. There was no point whatsoever to these atrocities save entertainment." What he left out was that after the facility was taken, Earthforce gave the same treatment to many of the Minbari. The few that convinced them they did everything they could to stop it were given a merciful death… relatively speaking. He continued to show the images for over an hour, making occasional comments. "We liberated numerous camps and we found the same thing." Only years of control kept him from shaking in range. The Minbari attitude was essentially: "We're going to exterminate them anyway; why not have some fun while we're doing it?"

"Even our refugee ships were not spared. The Minbari hunted them down and killed every last one. These were not soldiers. These were not fighters. They were nothing more than frightened, hungry civilians desperate for safety. It matter not at all to them. We were human, and in their eyes, that meant they deserved to die.

"This is an incident that some of you know better than others. The Abbai were kind enough and brave enough to offer assistance and shelter. In response, the Minbari burned their homeworld and stated that since they had assisted us, they would be exterminated as well.

"However, soon after that, the war came to an end, but the costs were staggering. The Minbari wiped about approximately 2.4 billion people. 2.4 BILLION. Those that survived frequently went hungry due to a colder climate and destroyed infrastructure."

The League remembered their efforts to assist Earth shortly after the war. The Brakiri sent a humanitarian fleet to supply food and medical care to the humans. The Minbari responded by destroying their ships, warning that any similar gesture given to the humans would meet the same fate.

"Some of you may wonder why I have shown you this." Anderton concluded. After the videos were finished, every League member was weak and some had even vomited. Some of the things they used bore a chilling resemblance to Dilgar torture devices. "It is horrifying, it staggers the mind of all civilized brings, and that is precisely what we endured during the war. It is also what is in store for us again if the Minbari decide to attack. Many will be happy to commit these sorts of crimes a second time. They have proven over and over again that they are no benevolent races, they are no guardians, they are no saviors. The Minbari are war criminals, monsters, murderers.

"Ladies and Gentleman of the League, I ask you to stand with the Earth Alliance and support us. Show the interstellar community that such actions cannot be tolerated, and they will not go unanswered." With that being said, he left the room, hoping that their pleas would move them to act.

He knew what their feelings were going to be. It was a mix of sympathy for Earth and fear of the Minbari juggernaut. While Anderton hoped otherwise, he knew that within days or weeks, Earth and Minbar would once again be at war.

X X X X X X X X X X

Lennier could barely believe the honor he had been given. He was chosen to represent the Minbari in the coming talks, with Neroon leading his bodyguards.

He would feel more pleased about it, though, if the stakes were not so high. If he failed, if he made even a minor mistake, the humans and Minbari would once again be at war. _I admit, it was rather clever of them to suggest having these talks in neutral territory. _He thought. Lennier had heard the stories of angry mobs of humans all throughout their alliance, demanding blood. As far as he was concerned, that merely proved their savagery.

_How long are we going to wait here? _Lennier wondered. It had been close to one standard hour and still the human representative had not arrived.

"You have been given a great honor, Lennier." Neroon reminded him. "If this goes well, your clan will be greatly respected."

"I am aware, which is why I accepted when the invitation was offered." Lennier replied. "I do not, however, understand why I have been chosen. Surely there are people more experienced than me."

"The Grey Council asked for you specifically and asked me to protect you." Neroon stated.

"For which I thank you, Neroon." Lennier bowed slightly to him. In spite of his new duties, though, he could not bring himself to look Neroon in the eye.

"Lennier, you have no cause to look down in my presence." Neroon stated. "If anything, you are my superior. You are the diplomat and I am merely the one to protect you."

"Yes, humans are a brutal race; many would love nothing more than to sabotage the peace process just as they did during the war." Lennier replied. He did his best to be professional, but he felt nothing but loathing for the humans. Numerous members of his family died on the Black Star and friends in the ambush that followed. The fact that the Drala Fi was intending to destroy a helpless ship never entered his mind.

"They might be brutal, yes, but underestimating them would be a great folly." Neroon warned. "As a student of history, you surely remember the Dilgar War. They underestimated Earth and lost because of it."

"I am aware, but the humans are just like the Dilgar." Lennier stated with confidence. "I do not believe that they were merely unaware of our methods of greeting. Any Centauri could have told them that. They wanted to conquer and subdue us, just as they did the League, only we were too powerful for them."

"And where did you hear this?" Neroon asked.

"My clan elders have stated this repeatedly." Lennier replied with confidence.

"The universe is far more complex than it seems." The answer came as no surprise to Neroon. To admit that they had made a mistake was almost impossible to the Minbari, so they decided to blame the humans for everything. While they certainly deserved much of it, they had their own burdens to bear. _With what he mentioned, about what happened during the peace process, we never did figure out who was responsible. At the end, the humans were begging to surrender, so why would they have sabotaged it? Perhaps the Shadows were active sooner than we believed. _

Eventually, someone walked in. At the front was a human male, and from the looks of him, he was not quite elderly but rapidly heading in that direction. Behind him, he had what the humans called an assistant and two bodyguards, armed with the strongest hand-held weapons that the Earth Alliance possessed.

They simply stood there for a couple of minutes, neither of them making any moves towards the other. The male walked forward towards Lennier, extending his hand. Immediately, Lennier reacted, kicking him across the jaw and pinning him to the ground. The man's guards started screaming and pointing their weapons.

"Let go of the ambassador immediately!" one of them screamed, or at least that's what it sounded like to Lennier's limited understanding of human knowledge. Neroon took out his staff, ready for action. They stared each other down before Lennier let the man go.

"I hope there's a good explanation for this." He stated with a frown.

"You were trying to attack me; I was merely defending myself." Lennier glared.

"That's what we call a handshake." He explained. "In our culture, it's meant both as a greeting and a sign of respect. So shall we try this again?" He extended his hand once more, far more slowly this time. "My name is David Sheridan."

"And I am Lennier of the Third Fane of Chudomo." Lennier responded, cautiously shaking back. Internally, though, he felt horrified. This was a relative of Starkiller! Part of him considered killing the man to avenge his family, and while he would surely die in the process, he would be honored in Minbar. However, since millions of lives were at stake, he reluctantly refrained.

"Then let us begin." Sheridan replied.

X X X X X X X X X X

I figure this diplomatic incident will last about two more chapters before you see and I decide whether or not it'll cause a second war. I apologize if there are any mistakes, but I realized that it's been a very long time. I assure you, I have not forgotten about the story.

Still, there is some good news. I'm writing a novel I hope to get published and for the first time, it's a story that is completely my own. No fan characters or characters based on people I know. It's a challenge, but I think it's going well.

And finally, thanks to everyone who continues to read "Vengeance".


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